Danganronpa: Act of Despair (SYOC CLOSED)
by RioA
Summary: The world's painted in such beautiful colors. The world had been painted meticulously, every single corner tended to with care. However, with such beautiful colors, there lies a dark layer of hatred underneath... Tragedy vows to taint the world in nothing more than a single, bland, dull color. (SYOC CLOSED)
1. SYOC Submission Format

When the world began to paint in those lovely hues, the reality was much more different. Despite the world being painted in such beautiful colors. Those shades of yellow, blue, orange… Those colors were merely masking the harsh reality of Mother Nature.

He had learned that. He had learned that because the moment he had opened his eyes to view the beautiful array of colors, he was met with the grim, wry smirks from the people around him.

"Hey, why don't you look at that? The brat's awake."

He couldn't understand what was happening. Despite the world being painted in such beautiful colors, the reality was tainted in black and gray hues.

"Sorry, I can't understand you." The man who was standing next to his partner chuckled, laughing at their victim. "Don't you know that talking is futile if you've been gagged?"

He couldn't care less. All he could register was the fear overwhelming his very heart, his very mind. He was struggling in his restraints, the different colors of lights shining down upon him. He continued to scream through the gag, tears in his eyes. He continued to scream and scream as he tried to comprehend the very situation he was in. _Why?_ He had wondered to himself. _Why am I here? Where am I? Who are you?_

Yes, despite being in such an extravagant, royal-like room, his reality was that of a poor rat. He was trapped, captured, and rendered helpless. He was under the mercy of the two soldiers who were laughing at his misery.

"You think acting like the victim will help you out here?" The elder soldier wrinkled his nose. "Your future is already sealed."

A moment passed before a disgusted growl escaped the soldier's breath. "God, do you ever shut up?" The man raised the stock of his rifle, then hitting the poor victim's face with the heel. The soldier scoffed as the victim began to sob, pain burning his entire face. "What a joke," he spat.

The other soldier smiled. "Sir, you think the boss won't mind the bruise on his head? Didn't he say that he wanted him to be 'pure'?"

"Nah, it should be fine. As long as he's not too damaged." The elder chuckled. "I wouldn't dare break him that much either. I'm just as excited to see their punishment more than anything else."

He didn't know what was happening. His head was aching. His entire body was aching, and his captors were mocking him. They were rolling their eyes at his pain.

 _Why?_ The poor victim lowered his head, tears falling to his legs. _What did I do to deserve this? Why is this happening? What's going to happen to me?_

He wanted to scream for help. He wanted someone to explain his situation, to heed his wishes and save him.

He desired to be saved. He desired to understand. He desired to be taken care of. He desired the love for someone, yet he knew better than to believe.

His fate had already been sealed. The world he once viewed would now be painted in gray and black hues.

* * *

 **-RULES-**

Hello! As some people may know, my name is RioA, or Rio for short. As I have mentioned before in my first story here, I had this idea in my head for a while. Considering what people have told me through the reviews and mixing them all together, it came to this limited story. I will have some of my original characters in this story, but every other slot will be free for the taking~ Thank you to everyone who decided to help me out on deciding what to do with this story, and I can only hope I will be able to entertain you all with this one story. There will be about fourteen characters in this story. Yes, that is the original number I wanted for this story.

As always, there are rules needed to be placed. I will simply briefly state them. Importantly, however, the deadline for this story, I would say, would be around **March 31**. However, I also want to mention that I will prioritize my first story mainly. The story Disparity will be taken priority, however I will try to update this as quickly and as detailed as I could as how I usually update my first story.

1\. You can reuse characters that were rejected from other stories. You may send them in if the story is in hiatus.

2\. Mary/Gary Sues, like always, are not allowed in this story. To be perfect means to be boring, and let's be honest- to stop a killing game so easily would bore the poor audience, right? Make the characters unique and realistic! They should be able to make the audience relate to them.

3\. You can only send in characters through private messages. Sending characters through reviews are not allowed here. Also, when sending the submission in, please title your submission **"Act of Despair - [OC NAME]"**. I want to keep track of the submissions for this story, after all. If you don't submit the form like this, then you will be eliminated from entering into this story.

4\. You can send to up to three characters, though I will try my best to only accept one from each person.

5\. Please feel free to ask me any questions if you have any. I will try to answer them as best as I could!

* * *

 **-SYOC FORM-**

 ** _General_**

Name:

Nickname/Alias(es):

Gender: (Male and female, please.)

Age: (Around 14-19 would be fitting, please.)

Ultimate Talent: (You could make your character's talent the same as those from the Danganronpa games, however be as unique as much as possible!)

Sexuality: (I'm open for anything, so please do not feel limited here.)

Birthday:

Race: (They would mainly be Japanese, but please feel free to put anything here as long as your character is logical.)

Height:

Weight:

 ** _Physical Appearance_**

Appearance: (Please tell me everything about your character. From their hair to face to body to their complexion… Please tell me everything about your character.)

Casual Wear: (This would be what your character would wear throughout the entire killing game. Please make this detailed and fitting as possible for your character, whether it be based on their talent or their personality.)

Sleepwear: (Optional, but recommended.)

Formal Wear: (Optional, but recommended.)

Style: (What does your character like to wear? Do they like to wear certain colors and/or do they like to wear certain types of clothing? What would they despise to wear?)

Health Issues: (Do they have trouble seeing or hearing? Are they blind? Do they hold any sort of mental disorder as well?)

 ** _Inwardly Appearance_**

Brief Description of Personality: (Just simply give me a brief list of traits that could exactly describe your character.)

Personality: (This should be one of the most detailed sections of this form other than the backstory of your character. To me, personality is what helps a character shine. I highly value a character for their personality, so please make this detailed.)

First Impressions: (What do people expect from your character based on appearances alone? What do people expect when they see your character?)

Expectations About People: (How do they expect people to act?)

Expectations About Themselves: (What do they want themselves to be like?)

Outlook on Life:

Outlook on Death:

People They Like:

People They're Neutral On:

People They Dislike:

Close Friendship: (Would you be interested in seeing your character in a close friendship with someone? Who do they look for in a close relationship and how would they act around that person?)

Romance: (If your character were to fall in love, who would they fall for? What do they look for in a partner and how do they act around that person?)

Likes: (Around 3-5 is preferrable.)

Dislikes: (Around 3-5 is preferrable.)

Fears:

Secrets:

Hobbies: (Around 3-5 is preferrable.)

Mannerisms:

Pet Peeves:

Voice: (How do they sound? Are they high-pitched or low-pitched? Do they sound sarcastic or are they usually the ones who sound lazy and quiet? Are they hoarse with their voice and how loud are they? If you want, you can reference me voice actors if you feel like it would work. They would either have to be English or Japanese voice actors in that case then, though both would be preferrable if you decide to do such.)

Quotes: (Give me a few here.)

 _Life_

Family: (Please state who is important in your character's life and state their status. Are they alive or dead? How did they impact your character and how do they act?)

Friends: (Please state who is important in your character's life and state their status. Are they alive or dead? How did they impact your character and how do they act?)

Backstory: (Please make this one of the most detailed of this section, if not the most. I would want to know how your character came to obtain their talent and how they came to be who they are today. I would love to know how your character gained their morals and how the people around them helped them become who they are presently.)

 ** _In The Game_**

Free Time Event Ideas:

Character Arc Ideas:

Reaction to Killing Game Announcement: (When the killing game is announced, how would your character react? Would they openly deny the game and try to fight against it, or would they believe the game was merely a prank? Would they cry out of fear?)

Reaction to Body Discovery Announcement: (When they hear that a body had been discovered while they were doing something, how would they react to the sudden announcement?)

Reaction to Body: (When they actually see the body, how would they react?)

Reaction to Execution/Being Executed: (How would your character react to seeing an execution? And, while we're at it, how would your character react to being executed?)

Role in Game: (Both innocent and guilty, please.)

Role in Investigation: (Both innocent and guilty, please.)

Role in Trial: (Both innocent and guilty, please.)

Motive to Kill: (Everyone could snap under the right circumstances. How would your character snap?)

Survivor, Victim, or Murderer: (Please rank what you feel your character would be here.)

Justification for Survivor: (Please tell me why your character can and cannot be such thing here. You have to give me reasons for both sides.)

Justification for Victim: (Please tell me why your character can and cannot be such thing here. You have to give me reasons for both sides.)

Justification for Murderer: (Please tell me why your character can and cannot be such thing here. You have to give me reasons for both sides.)

Justification for Mastermind: (Please tell me why your character can and cannot be such thing here. You have to give me reasons for both sides. I will be choosing the mastermind here, after all.)

 _Extra_

Other: (Is there anything I missed? Please state so here.)

* * *

 **-SUBMISSIONS-**

 _ **Males Submitted:** x24_

 _ **Females Submitted:** x17_

 ** _Submitted Talents:_**

 _Ultimate Actor x1_

 _Ultimate Detective x1_

 _Ultimate Florist x1_

 _Ultimate Recreation Worker x1_

 _Ultimate Butler x1_

 _Ultimate Phantom Thief x1_

 _Ultimate Weightlifter x1_

 _Ultimate Juggler x1_

 _Ultimate Beast Hunter x1_

 _Ultimate Memory x1_

 _Ultimate Linguist x1_

 _Ultimate Bagpacker x1_

 _Ultimate Painter x1_

 _Ultimate Snowboarder x1_

 _Ultimate Ballerina x1_

 _Ultimate Sniper x1_

 _Ultimate Construction Worker x1_

 _Ultimate Survivalist x1_

 _Ultimate Journalist x1_

 _Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model x1_

 _Ultimate Cat Keeper x1_

 _Ultimate_ _Nihilist x1_

 _Ultimate Gray Hat Hacker x1_

 _Ultimate Beekeeper x1_

 _Ultimate Literature Student x1_

 _Ultimate Slam Poet x1_

 _Ultimate Technician x1_

 _Ultimate Chess Player x1_

 _Ultimate Acrobat x1_

 _Ultimate Screenwriter x1_

 _Ultimate Tragedy Writer x1_

 _Ultimate Kagura Dancer x1_

 _Ultimate Hero x1_

 _Ultimate Animal Whisperer x1_

 _Ultimate Composer x1_

 _Ultimate Critic x1_

 _Ultimate Survivor x1_

 _Ultimate Mythologist x1_

 _Ultimate Surgeon x1_

 _Ultimate Playwright x1_

 _Ultimate Bad Luck x1_

 ** _Submitted Characters in Total (with mine):_** _x41_

* * *

 **-ROSTER (10/14 OPEN)-**

MALES

1\. Ultimate Actor

2\. Ultimate Detective

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

FEMALES

1\. Ultimate Florist

2\. Ultimate Recreation Worker

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.


	2. Roster List

And here is the cast! After a lot of careful consideration and hard choices, this is what I was able to cme up with! The characters you've all sent me were all so good, and it was truly really hard to choose a character over the other! Every character was good, but ultimately a roster had to be decided upon.

I am truly sorry that your character didn't enter into the roster, and I hope you find success elsewhere! I do hope you will support this story nonetheless. Anyways, here is the final cast!

* * *

 **MALES**

1\. Ultimate Actor - Akio 'Blaise' Fukui

2\. Ultimate Detective - Watari Irino

3\. Ultimate Survivor - Keishi Kari (ThePersonOfNothing)

4\. Ultimate Juggler - Kyatchi Sesshoku (liammarklh88)

5\. Ultimate Butler - Blanchard Decebel (Shyjoker)

6\. Ultimate Cat Keeper - Hitomu Mizushima (TheRoseShadow21)

7\. Ultimate Animal Whisperer - Shinjimae Akahoshi (Abitat Eco)

 **FEMALE**

1\. Ultimate Florist - Wakana Takane

2\. Ultimate Recreation Worker - Kiyoko Yamagiri

3\. Ultimate Nihilist - Yume Hamasaki (Meta King)

4\. Ultimate Survivalist - Masako Shinohara (ToonGuy)

5\. Ultimate Screenwriter - Tomoyo Ikeda (Lupus Overkill)

6\. Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model - Ayako Aoki (Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera)

7\. Ultimate Surgeon - Misaki Ueda (Wricano)

* * *

So, what do you think of the cast so far? Who seems to interest you most? Please leave your reviews in and wait until the prologue next time! I will be answering your reviews in the next chapter too, so stay tuned! ^^


	3. Prologue - Part 1

Hello, and welcome officially to this story! I am glad I was able to write this part at this time, and especially because I was able to write this just a day before my very important exam! Haha, now that this is out of the way (and with my lack of sleep), I shall now rest and prepare for my exam! I strive to write faster than this though, it's just that exams and studying is getting in my way.

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Hooray for you! I really do like Aya's character. Haha, well, let's see which characters you will be fond of here."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "I'm glad you look excited for this story, and I find it amazing you were able to create such detailed thoughts already about the characters! I do hope I will be able to meet your expectations, and I hope you will like a lot of the characters here. And please tell me if I portrayed Tomoyo right, whether now or in the future!"

 **Abitat Eco:** "I'm glad I made your day! Haha well, let us see!"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Haha, well, a lot of interesting interactions are to come in the future~ Yes, you are right on the differences between Masako and Keishi's talents. Hope you'll enjoy the cast!"

 **ToonGuy:** "Yeah, I loved how you wrote Masako's character! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"

 **Wricano:** "I'm glad I made your day! I just hope I'll be able to portray Misaki as accurately as possible, and please do tell me if I am off on her, whether in the future or now :) I hope you'll like the cast!"

 **PoisonBanana:** "I honestly loved your character, and it was hard to even choose from one character over another. A really hard decision, and I'm glad you'll be looking forward to the story! Well, let us see!"

 **ThePersonOfNothing:** "Of course! I know I'll enjoy writing him!"

* * *

He desired to be somebody whom someone could care about. He desired to be somebody whom people could admire and adore, to embrace and cry for. He desired the attention of others as if he were nothing more than a lonely dog.

A sad, sad tale. It is the tale of many poor people, a tale of many different people. No matter who the person was, no matter how well a person seemed to be- they desired that same exact thing. They desired attention. They needed attention.

Where would mankind go if relationships were not to be formed? Where would mankind go if humans were to ignore one another, isolating themselves from those pleas of help and death?

They would go nowhere, and so would he.

* * *

Darkness enveloped him. Harsh, black darkness.

"H…!"

A voice. A voice was reaching out to him, but yet he couldn't find the voice's owner. He could only hear the person. The person's voice which sounded that of an angel's singing; a mother's lullaby. It was feminine and quite soothing.

"Hey!"

Suddenly, that darkness disappeared, transitioning into light. A blurry image of a woman. His vision blurred as the woman continued to cry at him, yelling and trying to catch his attention. A few seconds passed. Slow, slowly, and once the blur in his vision disappeared, he found himself looking straight into a teenager's fierce, mystic blue eyes.

"Finally!" The woman suddenly stood up, the man who had been asleep earlier now staring blankly at her stomach. Her cupid-arrow curved lips moving into a smile. "You're awake. Thank goodness. I thought you were dead for a moment there."

The teenage man who had been unconscious earlier was nonetheless confused. His body was aching and within seconds did he realize that he had been asleep with his head lying on a classroom desk. Drool had been trickling down from his lips, and flustered, he quickly sat up despite his stiffness and observed the woman. "Who are you? Where am I?"

The woman didn't mind that the man sounded hoarse, instead continuing to smile kindly. "My name is Wakana Takane, and I'm the Ultimate Florist!"

* * *

 **Ultimate Florist**

 **Wakana Takane**

* * *

"You're an Ultimate…" The man was shocked. Honestly, he had never expected to find himself besides an Ultimate at the moment. He did know a few Ultimates in his life, but mostly he had heard about them from the media. _Wakana Takane, huh?_ Curious, he then observed Wakana, eyeing her features.

Wakana was a petite and frail woman, if he had to speak. She seemed to stand at a mere five feet tall, her features almost childlike if not for her slight curves. The woman wasn't busty, but she wasn't flat-chested either. Her hands were small, her feet were small. Everything about her was small. Even her nose was small and her lips were thin, eyebrows thin and face round. Well, to speak, Wakana was an average woman with simple bobbed orange hair and mystical blue eyes.

The woman wore a white cardigan over a brown collared shirt, a red ribbon tied akin to a rose's shape around her neck. On the bottom, Wakana was wearing a short light brown skirt, black tights and then dark brown flats on her feet. Near the toe heels of her feet were the pins of a sunflower. Though she dressed quite cutely at that, she was quite interesting in regards to how the woman had small bouquets of flowers inside of her cardigan's pockets. Though they were fake, they were beautifully arranged in itself. It honestly made her stand out as the Ultimate Florist in its own title. Floral, and quite majestic and innocent.

Wakana cupped her hands and looked to the man. "What's your name then?"

The man's eyes widened. "Ah, right." He cleared his throat and threw a friendly smile at Wakana. "The name's Akio Fukui, though most know me by my screen-name Blaise. I'm the Ultimate Actor."

* * *

 **Ultimate Actor**

 **Akio 'Blaise' Fukui**

* * *

Wakana threw her hands over her lips, eyes widened and pupils glittering a bright blue. A muffled scream escaped her lips. "I knew it!" She cried, cheeks blushing a pink hue. The woman was fangirling at this point, her voice ecstatic. "You are _the_ Blaise! Aah, I never thought I'd see him up close!"

Akio Fukui, the Ultimate Actor. The public and media called him by his screen-name, Blaise, as, yes, that name represented his status as an actor well throughout the world. He was nothing more than a 'blaze' who threw the Japanese industry of entertainment into a golden era. He was a man who had acted ever since he was little, and ever since his debut he's been renowned throughout the world as Japan's best actor, if not the world's best male actor ever. To be able to act all sorts of scenes, from dramatic to comedic to romantic- Akio was the person who directors would fall for.

Being an actor, Akio was also known for his attractive appearance. He had neat dark brown hair which fell just below his ears, bangs hanging just above his thin eyebrows. His eyes were monolid and a beautifully alluring purple hue. His face was structured in a heart shape and his nose was small, yet firm. His lips were a beautiful healthy pink hue, and his fair skin held no boundaries. His hands were firm as well as his feet, his body lean and slender as he stood a few inches below six feet.

Attractive as he was, Akio tend to wear normal clothing that anyone could buy. He wore nothing more than a forest green coat over a star-patterned black shirt, a leather belt around his waist and at the bottom being his dark blue jeans and brown dress shoes. He did have two silver studs as earrings, then around his neck being a golden necklace. Definitely someone who was attractive despite the average clothing.

Akio looked awkwardly at Wakana, noticing that she was eyeballing him. Standing up, he threw a small chuckle as he crossed his arms, amused. "Don't stare at me too much. I get embarrassed easily, y'know?"

Wakana's eyes widened. "A-ah! Right!" She quickly darted her eyes away, bowing her head down. "Sorry about that. I'm just a huge fan of you."

"We aren't strangers now, are we? You don't have to be so formal." Akio smiled and ruffled the woman's hair. "Not only are we high schoolers, but we're also humans. We're just humans, so don't act like I'm some deity."

"You're so nice, Blaise." Wakana smiled, blushing as she felt the man's hand ruffling her hair. She then frowned, pouting as she placed a finger to her lips. "Hm, but do you know where are we?"

"Right." Akio blinked, then eyeing his surroundings. The duo were inside of a classroom, that was to be certain. However, to accurately pinpoint where they were at the moment was quite the impossible feat. "I was about to ask you that."

The florist sighed. "I don't know. I just woke up a while ago, after all. I was panicking before I tried to wake you up."

Akio tapped his foot. "Do you remember anything before you got here? My mind's at a blank, so if you tell me what happened to you, then maybe we can recall the events slowly."

Wakana awkwardly laughed, nervous. "U-um, about that, I got nothing… I don't remember anything. I don't remember anything that can lead to me being here…"

"Really?" The actor frowned, crossing his arms in deep thought. He pondered for a moment, thinking to himself. He began to pace himself, walking in circles while Wakana fiddled with her fingers. _So we're both Ultimates and we're stuck here without knowing anything… This is quite worrying. Did somebody kidnap us? Ultimates are rare in itself, so I wouldn't doubt we'd be set at a high price if we were kidnapped._

He frowned at the thought. _There's about what, a hundred or so Ultimates? I've heard stories of Ultimates being killed and having their organs sold at the black market, nonetheless others being taken hostage and sold in auctions... All because of a brand someone enforced upon you..._

Akio's heart raced, yet he shook that thought away. He didn't want to worry himself and Wakana, after all. _Maybe somebody wants to scare us as a prank… But then how did they find us?_ The actor stopped, eyeing the florist. "Wakana, can I ask where you were before you got here? Where do you live?"

The florist tilted her head. "Um, I live in Ikebukuro."

"Ikebukuro?" The actor pursed his lips. He had been in Ikebukuro a few days ago, but he recalled nothing special happening. Although he did live in Akihabara, he did tend to travel from city to city in order to attend his meetings and film different scenes for movies. _Ikebukuro was my last stop for a movie… Hm, nothing special happened though, but it could be something._

Akio nodded his head. "Alright, do you recall anything out of the ordinary in your city that happened recently? Within this week? Within this month possibly, maybe?"

"Nothing important really." Wakana frowned. "I only remember watching the livestream for your showcase, haha. You looked so handsome when you got out of the limousine!"

The actor blushed. "I-I see, well you're quite the lovely woman yourself." He chuckled as the florist's face blushed red. "Anyways, so nothing special came to mind?"

Wakana shook her head. "Nope."

"I see…" Akio frowned, pondering. "Hm, well, I have nothing. Maybe we should look around and look for clues. What do you think, Wakana?"

"Yes, of course!" The florist smiled. "We might find something useful here."

The actor threw Wakana another toothy smile before the duo looked around the classroom.

The classroom looked like any regular classroom. Wooden desks and chairs, a whiteboard at the front and back of the room, a speaker (and strangely a small television atop) on the top left corner... Everything was definitely normal. Akio did notice that the teacher's desk was empty as well as the inside of the desks, but other than that it was that single word called 'normal'.

The actor looked at the time on the clock. It was about eight in the morning. He tried to search for a window to conclude if the time was correct, yet there was nothing there. They were trapped within this room.

"Hm, I guess there's nothing out of the ordinary here." The actor crossed his arms. "Maybe there's something outside."

Wakana nodded her head. "Then let's go."

Akio opened the door, the duo walking down into what seemed to be the hallways. The hallways looked like nothing special, them being the same wooden grounds and same colored walls of beige. A simple high school hallway- that was what it was.

Right in front of the door, however, was another door. It was another door that looked akin to, yes, a classroom door. Akio decided to open it, letting Wakana in first before he went inside himself.

The classroom was a replica of their initial location. It looked obviously the same, almost too alike. The teacher's desks and students' desks held nothing inside as well. Akio couldn't help but worry that someone had created some sort of cloning device.

 _Well, there's nothing here, so let's keep moving._

The duo walked back outside the halls, heading down to the next room which they saw on the left of their direction. They were just about ready to walk towards the room when they saw a person walking straight down their direction.

"Hey!" Wakana called out to the person. She was able to stop the person from moving, that person now looking straight at them. Wakana smiled as she headed over to the stranger. "Do you know where we are?"

Akio eyed the stranger as he walked down. The stranger was a woman- no, an obviously nervous woman. A rabbit in the headlights- that perfectly described the stranger at the moment. She was darting her eyes back and forth before shaking her head. "N-no, I don't... I-I'm sorry! I-I'm just as l-lost as you are!"

"Hey, calm down!" Wakana's brows furrowed. "We're not mad at you!"

"Eek!" The stranger continued to shiver, cowering in her realm of fear. "Y-you really shouldn't have... You... You're yelling at m-me!"

Akio looked to Wakana kindly, then beginning to step in. "We're sorry about that. We are all confused right now, and it makes complete sense that you are acting like this. My name is Akio Fukui, but you can call me by my screenname Blaise if you please. People know me as the Ultimate Actor."

The florist took this as a sign to cut in, a wide smile on her lips. "And I'm Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist. I'm really sorry for yelling at you. I really didn't mean to scare you."

The woman eyed the duo for a moment, then slowly beginning to speak through her stutters. "O-oh... I-I've heard of you two before from my p-parents..." She let out a shy smile before continuing to speak, trying her best to relax herself in this situation. "W-well, p-please pardon my rudeness. M-my name is Masako Shinohara, and I-I'm the Ultimate Survivalist."

* * *

 **Ultimate Survivalist**

 **Masako Shinohara**

* * *

"Survivalist?" Akio frowned. "Hm, interesting..."

 _However, I've heard quite a bit about her from rumors._ The actor frowned. _No, I shouldn't ask. They're just rumors anyways. I'm sure she's a nice person, especially if she's acting like a poor rabbit._ He looked at the woman, deciding to take a look at her appearance for now.

Masako's body was quite slim, toned with a little bit of muscle here and there- if anything, her appearance did not describe her personality at all. Her complexion was deathly pale and her face was scattered with freckles. Along her arms were scars and patches of dried skin which should've been removed. Her eyes are a normal color of black and her hair was rusty-red, straggly and wild in a sloppy ponytail. And from inspections alone, Akio could see that Masako was missing one or two of her teeth.

Well, other than that, Masako was wearing a blocky, yellow-tined goggles that she wore for protection. She wore a somewhat baggy light brown sweater over what seemed to be a battered student-like blazer. On the bottom the survivalist was wearing a pair of jogging pants, however it seemed like the pants had been stitched up and patched together messily. Even her shoes weren't at all pretty, her blue-and-white trainers chewed up.

 _Hm, I should buy her some clothes when we get out of this place._ Akio promised himself to do such, and even if he didn't know the Ultimate well, he cared enough to want to help her. _Still, she might think I'm pitying her. Hm..._

Akio thought for a moment, unable to respond when Wakana was looking at him. "You okay?"

The actor's eyes widened, and he nodded. "Of course. I was just thinking about something."

Masako eyed the duo curiously. "U-um, b-by any chance, are there any other people here...?"

Akio looked to the survivalist for a moment, then frowning. "I wonder that as well." He tapped his foot on the ground. "Given that we are all Ultimates, I am confident that whoever had taken us here chose us specifically for our talents. Hm..."

"A-are they going to kill us or something?!" Masako's eyes widened, teary.

"Let's not think negatively for now, alright?" Akio smiled at the woman. "I'm sure this is nothing but a prank."

The redhead eyed Akio for a moment, then slowly nodding her head. She was hesitant to believe him, but nonetheless placed her belief. "I-I hope so..."

The actor chuckled. "Now, are you alone? You can follow Wakana and I if you want to."

Masako shook her head. "N-no, I-I'm fine..."

Wakana frowned. "Are you sure? I don't mind if you follow us."

The survivalist nodded. "I'm sure. T-thank you though."

 _She left. Hm, I guess she needs a bit of time in order to trust us. Well but it is understandable, given not only what her type of character seems to be, but what the circumstances here are._

The duo watched as Masako continued her way forward, walking away from them. Wakana and Akio looked to one another. They were both worried for Masako's safety, but in the meantime they supposed they had nothing else to do but continue forward. Akio opened the door to the left, allowing Wakana to walk inside first. He closed the door behind him, and the duo found themselves inside of a library.

They looked around the room, yet the first thing they noticed was the man inside.

The man was standing atop of a stepladder, having picked out a black-coated novella and scanning through it. He seemed to be in a deep state of mind, humming to himself a short tune. A few moments passed before he looked to the duo, dark red eyes blinking before a small smile formed on his lips. He stepped down the ladder and moved to the duo.

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, Mr. Actor and Ms. Florist."

Akio and Wakana's eyes widened. They looked to one another, shocked before the actor decided to speak. "H-how do you know what our talents are? Have you met us before?"

The man continued to smile, however his smile was uncanny and mischievous. "I wonder why I know that as well, Aki."

"A-Aki?" The actor frowned. "Is that a nickname-"

"It is, and an affectionate one at that." The man's smile was definitely that of a smirk. A devious, deceitful smirk. "I know both of you, as well as every other Ultimate in the world. You are Akio Fukui, though notably known as Blaise to the public." The man then turned to the orange-haired woman whose mouth stood slightly agape. "And you are Wakana Takane."

Akio pursed his lips. "And who might you be, exactly?"

The man laughed. "Do I have the liberty of telling you that? Information is valuable, y'know?"

 _This guy's annoying me real fast._ The actor shook his head, crossing his arms. "Given the fact that you already know us, I think we have the liberty of learning who you are. Who knows? You might be a stalker for all we know."

"Passive-aggressive. Cute." The man chuckled, swaying back and forth. "Given this situation, a lowly stalker wouldn't be here, right? Whoever trapped us in here are targeting Ultimates, as I myself am one of you guys."

Akio rolled his eyes as the man spun around.

"The name's Watari Irino, and I'm the Ultimate Detective."

* * *

 **Ultimate Detective**

 **Watari Irino**

* * *

"I see." The actor crossed his arms. "And why would a detective investigate into us, if I might ask?"

"Well, let's see..." Watari tilted his head, tapping his chin. It was then did he grin widely and shook his head. His expression was eerily dark. "Because everyone targets us these days? Just look at our situation now. We're trapped inside of a school, wondering who trapped us here and why. Are we going to be killed? Are we going to be put for ransom? Are we going to be experimented on?"

Watari chuckled, scaring Wakana who held her breath. The man's voice was cold and calculating. "Reality is, as a detective it's my duty to know everyone and everything at any given moment. And right now, I know that we're trapped in here."

 _Well, I guess it would make sense for a detective to think like that, but he's giving me all the bad vibes. He's going to be a pain in the ass, and I'm sure of it in the future._ Akio bit into his lips as he observed the detective.

The first thing to notice about the detective was his short height. Watari was short, even shorter than Wakana at that. The man had slanted thin eyebrows and dark red eyes, almost the color of that of blood. His hair hung just below his ears was a charcoal color and was messy, bangs appearing from place to place, though swayed to the right. His face was round, his nose small and lips small as well. His skin was somewhat pale and his structure was nothing but small and lean, almost feminine.

Watari, at the moment, was wearing a dark blue dress vest over a black long-sleeved collared shirt, on the bottom being his black dress pants and dress shoes. Quite the normal attire, however, on his vest was a small breast pocket to the right, three symbols embodied atop. The three symbols were the following- the first being a red rose, the second being a handgun, and the third being a badge of some sort (possibly from his line of work). And, finally, around his collar was a dark pink bow tie. His accessories seemed to go along with a sophisticated, clean attire- Akio had to admit.

"So," Akio began, "I can't help but notice that you seem confident in that _we're_ trapped inside of this place. Do you know that you, I, and Wakana are not the only ones inside of the building?"

"Oh, you could tell that just from the tone of my voice?" Watari smirked at the man. "You're smarter than I thought, Aki."

Wakana frowned. "So did you meet Masako?"

The detective looked at the florist for a moment, then masking confusion. "Masako? No, not her. I saw a few other people, but not her."

"So you've met her."

Watari chuckled as he looked at Akio. "Yeah, I did. There are, if I'm counting you two and I, about fourteen of us inside this place." He then threw his hands to air. "Well! That's all the information I can provide you two with."

The florist's eyes widened. "W-what? S-so do you know more about our situation or something? Why won't you tell us?"

The raven crossed his arms, lips curving into a simper. "And like I've said before, do I have the liberty of telling you? Information is valuable, and we are not acquantances. I am only required to share information to those who I trust, and at the moment, I am not comfortable with sharing what I have thought of at the moment."

"So you just don't want to share anything because it amuses you, right?" Akio frowned.

Watari was silent. He then winked to the duo as a vague answer, now turning his backs to them. He walked out of the door without a second to spare, leaving the two Ultimates to their demise.

Akio sighed underneath his breath. He was exhausted. "I guess we should look around the area."

Wakana smiled awkwardly, looking at the actor. "Yeah."

The first thing they noticed now was the smell of old books and paper wafting through the air, the smell reaching into their nostrils.

From a single glance, they instantly called the room as 'spacious'. It was spacious and tidy, excluding the stacks of books on the farthest left corner of the room. The library was huge, wide and tall the shelves seemed endlessly tall and wide, thousands of books stacked in each shelf in an organized manner. On the wide table in the middle, there were velvet-cushioned chairs lined up around the table, a small white candle in the middle of a golden plate as a globe next to the left rotated at a 180 angle and the glass vase to the right stood there, shining and still. The stepladder was at the end from where they're standing, reaching all the way to the top that was just barely seen from below.

Overall, it was a nice and beautiful library. There were all sorts of books ranging from texts to novella to comics. From old to modern, everything was hidden inside of this wonderfully built and crafted room.

 _If I wasn't so worried about our situation, I'd happily stay inside this room and read 24/7._

Akio chuckled to himself, smiling at the thought.

"You alright?"

Akio could see Wakana eyeing him, an awkward smile on her face. She seemed to have caught Akio in his thoughts, as she was now looking at him curiously.

"Yeah, I'm good." The actor chuckled, ruffling the woman's hair for a second. "Alright, shall we go?"

With the florist accepting, the duo headed back outside and looked in front of them. There was a room right in front of the library, and the duo were nonetheless curious. They opened the door and headed inside.

A wide room. It was an auditorium, red curtains opened to reveal a stage at the back, folding chairs lined up around the rest of the area. There was nothing special about the area, truly, yet Akio and Wakana made their way through the line of chairs, finding two women talking to one another atop of the stage.

"... I see." The first woman spoke. "That's interesting, sure."

The second woman was about ready to speak until she noticed the duo heading towards their way. She gestured her companion to look, and the pair of women waited patiently as the duo walked towards them.

"So there are other people inside here than us." The first woman who had spoken seemed content. "Are you two, by any chance, Ultimates as well?"

However, before the duo was able to respond, the second woman spoke first. "I think I've seen you before," she began, eyeing Akio with a cheerful smile. "Are you Blaise, by any chance?"

Akio nodded his head, but as he was about to question the woman, his eyes widened. "Oh, I think I've seen you before as well." He looked carefully at the second woman before a bright smile escaped his lips. "You're Tomoyo Ikeda, right? The Ultimate Screenwriter."

* * *

 **Ultimate Screenwriter**

 **Tomoyo Ikeda**

* * *

"Oh, you've heard about me?" The woman smiled widely, then reaching her hand out. She took ahold of Akio's hand and shook it, then doing the same to Wakana who was standing by. "I'm glad you know who I am!"

Akio smiled. He could tell who Tomoyo was simply from her appearance. He had heard about her before, whether that'd be from his managers or from television. He's seen her in interviews and the like.

Tomoyo was a slender woman, having a little bit of muscle and fat on her. She was flatchested, her upper body fairly thin and her torso long. Her lower body was bulky, wide hips and built legs on her. The nails on her long, skinny fingers were unpainted, but there seemed to be callouses on the tips of her fingers. Well, her skin was pale, and her face was shaped in a heart shape, her nose upturned and eyes green. She wore her straight raven hair in a chin length bob, sideswept bangs on her forehead and a red headband on her.

Clothing wise, the screenwriter had on a combination of a white, collared blouse and a black a-line skirt that goes down to just above her knees. Over her dress shirt was an olive green sweater, then a maroon leather jacket over that. Her sleeves were rolled to her elbows, added as an extra detail alongside a sliver bracelet on her left wrist. Finally, on her feet were a pair of maroon, knee-high, leather boots.

"Mhm. You're really good at your writing." Akio smiled as he complimented the woman. "My favorite has to be Koi, but Ward is especially thrilling too. It gives me the creeps everytime I watch it!"

Tomoyo nodded. "I'm glad you enjoy my films. I'm also quite fond of your work as an actor. My favorite has to be Duplicity, the one where you starred as the protagonist."

The actor chuckled. "The one where the protagonist had multiple personalities? That was one of my first ever films as the main lead. I'm surprised you enjoyed that one." Akio then crossed his arms. "Your films are truly outerworldy though. I'm glad that you praise me of my work."

"O-oh! Well, I can say the same to you!" Tomoyo laughed, moving her hands to her mouth. "Um, I really do enjoy watching you star in movies. N-not that I'm suggesting something though, oops!"

"Haha, don't worry." Akio could tell that Tomoyo was quite an awkward woman, but nonetheless an energetic and sweet person. He enjoyed how confident and kind she was, and although it was based on first impression alone, he knew he would enjoy being around her charisma. The actor then looked to the next person, the next woman who was watching them from her side. "Hello, may I ask for your name?"

The woman scoffed, hands crossed and chin held high. "My name is Kiyoko Yamagiri, and I am the Ultimate Recreation Worker."

* * *

 **Ultimate Recreation Worker**

 **Kiyoko Yamagiri**

* * *

 _Alright, let's see..._ Akio took the moment to observe the woman.

Kiyoko was a fairly olive colored woman around five feet and seven inches, taller than Tomoyo by a few inches. Her body was lean and quite built, though not at all apparent at first glance. Her eyes were upturned and an auburn shade, closely matching her dark brown hair which reached down to just above her shoulders. Her hair was bouncy and her bangs were swept to the right, reaching just above her eyebrows. Other than that, the woman had long fingernails which were coated in red, her lips plumped with cherry red lipstick.

The woman was wearing a simple black suit and dress shoes, however around her neck was a cozy forest green scarf and over her right wrist were three different bracelets. The first one was a golden chain, the second being silver, and the third being leather. On her left wrist was her silver wristwatch, working wonderously. Lastly, around her leather belt to the right would be a small bag which seemed to hold her belongings.

"A recreation worker, hm?" Akio thought for a moment. "Oh, is that the type of job where they lead group activities?"

Kiyoko nodded her head, albeit frowning. "Recreation workers are there to assign and lead activities to help people stay active and improve fitness." She looked to Akio and Wakana. "You two look healthy at the moment, hmph."

The actor smiled awkwardly. _She seems grumpy..._

Wakana giggled. "You too, Kiyoko!"

Kiyoko eyed the florist for a moment, then shaking her head.

The actor, in the meantime, decided it was best to try to initiate a conversation. He looked at the woman and put on a kind tone of voice. "May I ask what you and Tomoyo were talking about?"

"Just about the current situation." The brunette was blunt. "We're captured and all, right? From what the people we've met has been telling us, we're stuck here. We're trying to look for a way out."

"Yeah, but don't worry about it." Wakana smiled widely. It was a toothy smile. "I'm sure this is all some huge misunderstanding! We're probably being roped into a prank of some kind."

Kiyoko rolled her eyes. "You think? Haven't you heard of the news outside? About Ultimates being sold off and sold, like slaves?" She looked at the woman for a moment, then biting into her lips. "Our case might be just that, and I am not letting us sit here and wait."

Akio's eyes widened. _Oh... I see..._

The actor nodded. "Thank you for trying to help us then."

Kiyoko was silent, Tomoyo smiling awkwardly to her.

Wakana and Akio eyed one another, nodding before heading back outside. They waved to the two women before leaving, and they continued their search around the school building. They made their way down the hallways, their eyes first focused on what's ahead. It was a smaller building. A smaller, marble building. The duo quickly made their way towards the building, inspecting it for a moment.

There was a huge wooden door with a silver plate labelled, "Dormitory". Akio was the first to open it, then heading aside along with Wakana. As the plate had mentioned, the inside of the building was definitely a dormitory hall. On the left side were white doors with blue frames, then a pixelated picture of what Akio assumed to be the people held captive inside on the door. The left side were holding the avatars of seven men, and to the right Akio could find white doors with pink frames. The right side would definitely be where the women are, him noticing an avatar of Wakana. He could tell from her orange hair, and of course, he felt inclined to mention the avatar.

"Is this where we'll be staying?" Akio asked, inspecting Wakana's avatar closely. "Huh, cute."

Wakana's cheeks immediately turned pink. "B-Blaise!" She then quickly slapped her cheeks and sighed. "So I guess whoever captured us are expecting us to stay here...?"

"Hm, a likely possibility." The actor frowned. "But like Kiyoko said, we are not going to let that happen. Besides, I'm sure our families have already contacted the police."

"Oh, right!" Wakana smiled. Her worries seemed to fade away in an instant. "Help will definitely arrive soon then."

Akio chuckled. He decided to look for his door for a moment, then noticing his avatar on the door. He couldn't help but smile softly at the sight, but then tried to turn the knob. No, the door had been locked.

 _I guess whoever is keeping us here is going to give us our keys later or something._

The actor scratched his head, then shrugging. He gestured to Wakana to move, the duo heading outside of the smaller building and closing the wooden door. They headed down to the right, noticing another door up ahead, then a sign next by that held the picture of chopsticks, a fork, and a spoon in silver lining. Akio concluded that the next room was a kitchen/dining hall, and eagerly did he open the door.

Strangely, there was a smell of food being cooked.

Akio took the moment to let the smell waft into his nostrils. Immediately did his stomach grumble. _Oh_ , _is that teriyaki salmon I'm smelling?_ A bright smile escaped his lips. _I'm getting really hungry now..._

As the actor was about ready to announce his hunger to the florist, he suddenly felt something soft nuzzling against his leg. He looked down, then finding a slightly chubby, fluffy tabby cat purring against his leg. Akio bent down to eye the cat, slowly stroking its body. His fingers ran through the cat's fluffy body, and nonetheless did Akio felt like cuddling it. He brought the small animal to his arms and began to let it rest on him. "Huh," he began, looking to Wakana who was distracted by the adorable animal. "Didn't know there were animals in this place..."

"Kazue!"

Akio looked forward to find the wooden door to the front opening, revealing an average-looking young man. The man looked around the room for a moment before noticing Akio and Wakana, eyes then widening as he saw the cat, Kazue, resting in Akio's arms. "Oh, so that's where she is." The man smiled and walked towards the duo, uncaring of the fact there was a cat curled around his head. "I don't think we've met yet, right? I'm Hitomu Mizushima, the Ultimate Cat Keeper. What's your name?"

* * *

 **Ultimate Cat Keeper**

 **Hitomu Mizushima**

* * *

Akio nodded his head. "Akio Fukui, Ultimate Actor. You could call me Blaise if you want to though."

"And I'm Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist." The woman smiled brightly. "It's nice to meet you!"

Hitomu chuckled. "Of course, it's a pleasure to meet you both." He looked to Kazue. "She seems to enjoy your company. I assume you like cats then?"

The actor grinned, allowing Kazue to jump to Hitomu's arms. "I like all sorts of animals, but I've never actually had gotten the luxury to care for one. I don't have the time to considering how busy I usually am all year."

"I see. That makes sense." Hitomu moved Kazue back to the ground, the cat meowing before walking away. He then took the moment to take ahold of the cat over his head, bring the animal down. He was a black sleek cat. "This here is Reiji."

Reiji looked at the florist and actor for a moment, then beginning to purr and groom itself.

The florist was nonetheless amused. "Aw, Kazue and Reiji are so cute!" Wakana was gushing over the two cats, eyes darting back and forth from the two. "I wish I had cats of my own!"

Hitomu smiled back in return. "I'm glad that you seem to like them."

 _Hmm..._ With Hitomu and Wakana gushing over the two cats, Akio decided it was best to observe the cat keeper in the moment.

Akio could tell, from a short moment, that Hitomu was an average teenage boy. He was a little on the silm side, but nonetheless average. Although his skin was a perfectly healthy complexion and didn't wear any scars or blemishes, he wasn't at all flawless. His eyes are a hazel color and of oval shape, hair brown and straight, though slightly tousled with a thick fringe that covered the left eye- or would if not for the plain black hair slides he clipped it back with. His facial features were definitely average, but his mouth was always upturned, always as if he was always smiling. Nonetheless, Akio did notice the subtle lines on Hitomu's forehead which did seem to make him look quite the fatherly figure.

For clothing, Hitomu was wearing black trousers with cargo pants, then a long-sleeved and slightly baggy white t-shirt. Over that was a sleeveless light blue knitted jumper, but over that itself was a green hoodie. On one side (the side where a breast pocket would most likely be) held a small white circle with the words 'Mizushima Cat Shelter', written in blocky black kanji, tiny silhouettes of orange cats walking across and sitting on various parts of the characters in the words. The hoodie he wore was kept partially zipped up, less than halfway or something like that, and it was slightly worn and patched up a few times, though in Akio's eyes it looked cozy nonetheless. Finally, on the bottom, he wore plain white socks and black slip-on sneakers.

"So do you have more cats at your place?" Wakana asked, genuinely curious. She was, at the moment, stroking Reiji's head.

Hitomu nodded his head. "Yes, I do. However, I only have Reiji and Kazue with me at the moment. When we leave this place, I will happily introduce you and Blaise to the other cats."

Wakana's eyes were sparkling. "Really? I-I would love to!"

The cat keeper smiled back in return, and Akio couldn't help but smile back. However, a moment passed before the actor's eyes widened. "Ah, right. Hitomu, were you the one cooking in the kitchen?"

The brunette eyed Akio for a moment, then nodding again. "I just found some raw fish inside of the fridge, and seeing that it is quite newly bought from how the packaging looked, I decided I should cook it for everyone inside here. We must be hungry, right?"

Akio frowned. "I mean, sure, but I'm pretty sure we'll be focusing on escaping this place first."

Hitomu chuckled. "Of course, my apologies. It is still necessary to eat, so I do not think I have wasted my time one bit. Besides, if it comes down to it, I am sure Kazue and Reiji will happily eat the food instead."

"Ah, right." The actor smiled. "Of course. Well, I'm sure some of us won't mind eating first."

The cat keeper crossed his arms. "Do you need to eat?"

Wakana and Akio looked at one another, then shaking their heads. "It's fine. Thank you for the offer though."

The actor decided that they should keep moving, and they waved to Hitomu and his two cats before heading outside. Their stomachs were, in fact, grumbling, but the most important thing to do was find everyone else and look around for an escape route. They would also have to find the mastermind who've kept them inside of this school building, after all.

They walked up from the dining hall to where the dormitories stood, then noticing the staircase which led to the next floor. The duo walked up the stairs, and the moment they reached the second floor they were met with two other people talking to one another, standing straight in their way.

"Um..." Wakana looked at the duo. "Excuse us?"

The first to speak was a young woman. A young, short woman. "Hi hi! Are you also stuck here like us?"

Akio thought for a moment, then frowning. "Aren't you Ayako Aoki?"

Wakana's eyes widened as she looked at the woman. She then gasped. "It is her!"

The woman, Ayako, blinked for a moment, curious. She looked at the duo for a moment, then nodding her head rapidly with a wide smile. "Yup! Aya-chan, the Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model, at your service!"

* * *

 **Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model**

 **Ayako Aoki**

* * *

"I can't believe I met so many famous people today!" Wakana cried, screaming into her hands. She was definitely gushing over Ayako at the moment, eyes sparkling brightly. "This is so cool!"

"So, Ayako-"

"Aya-chan is fine! Oh, and if you're doing introductions, I already know who you are! You're Blaise, right?"

Akio stopped, eyeing the lolita fashion model for a moment. As expected, the woman was definitely the 'cutesy' sort of character. "Ah, right. And this here is Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist."

Wakana nodded, bowing her head to the model. "Nice to meet you!"

Ayako giggled. "So you're a florist? That's nice! I would love to buy a bouquet from you! Flowers are really pretty and cute!"

The florist blushed at that statement. "A-ah, I'm not that good at arranging bouquets..."

"Don't be like that!" Ayako pouted. "If you're an Ultimate, then that means you're great at what you are! I'll buy two, no, a hundred bouquets from you!"

"E-eeeeh?!"

Akio watched the scene unfold before his eyes, awkwardly scratching his head. _Yup._ _Definitely cute and ditzy, though I suppose she could be annoying to some... I'm pretty overwhelmed myself, and I'm not the one she's focusing her attention to._

Ayako was about five feet and an inch tall, having a skinny build and small bust. Her waist was quite defined for her type of size, and her skin was clear, fair. Her eyes were a dark brown hue, her hair a light brown and at chest length, curly with two pigtails on the back. Her face was cute, nose small and lips pouty. If anything, Akio would suggest that Ayako was wearing makeup and a wig at the moment, though he supposed he couldn't conclude completely (since he wasn't a makeup artist or the like). Still, her appearance does match her talent perfectly well.

The lolita fashion model was wearing, not at all surprisingly, a lolita-styled dress that was colored lilac with a print of sweets in pinks, blues, whites, and purples. Her skirt was just above her knees, the sleeves on her dress puffed up and trimmed with a lilac lace. Her collar was sqaure-cut and trimmed down trimmed in lace with a strap sown to each corner. The strap was then tied crossed across the collarbone behind the neck with matching lace and buttons down the bodice. A small bow was apparent at Ayako's waist line and a bow was tied behind at the back. On the bottom, she was wearing white knee length socks with pink shooting stars on them, lilac mary jane shoes with a bow on the front. For accessories, Ayako was wearing a bow headband in same sweet print as her dress and white lace cuff bracelets each with a pink plastic heart on it.

"Can I assume you and your friend were discussing about our situation?" Akio asked, eyeing the model.

Ayako turned to him with a nod. "Yup! I was wondering where the bad guys are. I can't believe they would do something horrible to us!"

"Hm..." The actor looked to the person Ayako was talking to beforehand. It was a man. No, it was a monstrously tall man. The actor couldn't help but stumble between his words, a weird noise escaping his lips. _He's almost seven feet tall!_ Akio calmed himself down and began to speak. "Um... My name is Akio Fukui, but you can call me Blaise. What's your name?"

The man eyed Akio for a moment before beginning to speak. And Akio knew that the man was speaking- he could hear his voice, after all. However, the man's mouth wasn't moving. He was speaking through his teeth, lips never moving as he bowed to the actor.

"Greetings, gentleman. I am a loyal servant who- Ah, I mean I am a butler who serves those in need of my services. My name is Blanchard Decebal."

Akio was about ready to speak until the man continued, switching his eyepatch to his other eye. He was now strangely moving his mouth and speaking in a much more informal tone of voice.

"And I am his second in command, Viorel Decebel." He stood up straight. "Humble greetings from a man with two different minds." He then switched the eyepatch again, teeth now stuck in place. "However, we are still one person altogether. We are the Ultimate Butler."

* * *

 **Ultimate Butler**

 **Blanchard/Viorel Decebel**

* * *

Akio was left stunned, unsure of where to start.

"Ah, it appears our introduction was too dramatic, Viorel," Blanchard was suddenly speaking to himself. "See? We confused our poor master here..."

That same man then spoke gallantly, eyepatch switched. "I think I'd be much more worried if he wasn't, Blanc."

"That is true. We are quite a weird individual..."

A grunt escaped the man's lips. "Ugh, yeah, so? Just come on and do your job as a 'gentleman'! I need to rest, and also stop sticking out your teeth!"

Blanchard sighed. "But it is not mine to use..."

"And neither is this body! Suck it up, Blanc!"

Another sigh escaped the man's lips, and he turned around to eye Akio. It was obvious the actor was confused, his mouth hanging slightly agape. Blanchard cleared his throat and begun to speak. "Excuse that small outburst, but I am Blanchard. Ah, you can refer to me as anything else but please do tell me beforehand or you'll confuse me later. You can also refer to me and Viorel as Decebel, that is, if you do prefer."

Akio eyed the man for a moment, then shaking his head. "Um, excuse me, but are you and, um, Viorel...?"

Blanchard shook his head. "We are one. We are not split personalities, but, yes, I do suppose this matter is confusing. Do not dwell on it, master. I am not of concern to you."

"I see..." The actor couldn't say much, instead staring at Blanchard. _I should probably ask him, or Viorel, later about this... I'm still a bit confused on what exactly should I say to him about this..._

Appearance wise, Blanchard was monstrously tall, though built with muscles and scars over his body. His skin was snow white and his unpatched eye was silver, the left (from what Akio saw earlier) was violet. His hair was slicked to the side with purple gradients, and his face was angular and sharp. His ear on the right, however, did seem larger than the left, but the actor wasn't completely sure as Blanchard's hair was covering the right.

Blanchard was wearing a black tailcoat over a purple vest with silver buttons, a white shirt underneath with a few silver violet pins, a royal pin on the left to his chest, and a white button shirt. He was also wearing white gloves on himself, on the bottom wearing gray slacks, black socks, and leather brogue. Definitely, the man was someone who did fit the title of a butler.

"So," Akio began, looking at the people present, "you haven't found any escape routes or clues, right?"

Ayako pouted. "Unfortunately! I wonder where the escape route is though. Hm...!"

"Possibly, when the mastermind appears, we could ask them?" Blanchard suggested into the open. "It never hurts to ask."

Akio frowned. "True, but still... Hm, what do you think, Wakana?"

The woman shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I just want to leave this place, considering our situation is that we've been targeted since we're Ultimates and all that..."

"Don't worry about that!" Ayako cried, grinning widely. "I'm sure we'll be saved!"

Wakana nodded. Akio smiled in the process, ruffling the florist's hair in a comforting manner. "Alright," he said, then looking to Blanchard and Ayako. "We still haven't searched this floor, so I think we'll be going now."

"Bye-bye!"

The duo headed down the hallways and to the next room. Strangely, the door to the room was dusty. There was a wooden sign on the door that said, "Under Construction". Nonetheless, the duo were interested and headed inside. Their curiosity was getting to them, after all.

Inside of the room, the first thing the duo noticed were the construction inside of the spacious room. Somehow, there was a crane inside of the room, to the back where the unfinished building was, built with wood and stone. There were stairs and ladders over the site, moving up and down, left and right. Blocks of wood and stones were all over the floor. The duo had no idea of what the room was supposed to be, however they could smell dust and wood. The area was dirty, dusty. The duo were coughing.

"Are... are you guys okay?"

Akio quickly covered his mouth as he looked ahead of him, finding a young man eyeing him and Wakana worriedly. The actor regained his breath and nodded, throwing a kind smile as he helped Wakana recover from the dust. "Thank you for asking," he began, eyeing the man, "Who might you be?"

"My name...?" The man eyed the actor for a moment, then averting his gaze. "... Ah, alright. I'm Keishi Kari..." He hesitated. "... Uh, I suppose I'm the Ultimate Survivor."

* * *

 **Ultimate Survivor**

 **Keishi Kari**

* * *

 _Ultimate Survivor...?_ Akio took a look at the man. He couldn't get a good look at the man's appearance, though he could suppose the survivor stood at five feet and ten inches tall. All he could tell otherwise was that the man had a heart shaped face and fair complexion, nose small and eyes a dark brown. His eyes seemed to match his hair, his hair being a lighter shade of brown and bangs hanging just above his eyebrows. Keishi also seemed skinny, most particulary by the look of his legs (though his torso was slightly fit). And his hands- his hands looked painted, similar to those of gloves.

Keishi, the Ultimate Survivor, was wearing a long-sleeved, black turtleneck shirt. The shirt seemed to be a bit larger than usual, however his hands were visible. Over his turtleneck was a thin, black zipup sweater. On the bottom the man was wearing dark blue jeans which reached to his ankles, his tennis shoes plain black.

"I'm Akio Fukui, the Ultimate Actor." The man then smiled. "You can call me Blaise if you want to though."

Wakana quickly saluted Keishi. "And I'm Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist! Pleased to meet you!"

Keishi's eyes widened, and he awkwardly looked away from the duo. "Y-yeah... Pleased to meet you two too..."

It was now silent. A few seconds passed, yet nothing had happaned. Akio couldn't help but awkwardly chuckle. _Haha, this is actually pretty awkward. I guess... I guess Keishi's pretty shy, huh?_

"So," the actor began, trying to make small talk with the other man, "May I ask what exactly is your talent supposed to be?"

Keishi's eyes widened at that statement, and he quickly fiddled with his fingers. "U-um... well..." He was silent for a few more seconds. "I-it's, yeah... It's different from Masako's... Her's is more of a sport-based talent... uh, hunting and all... I..." He bit into his lips. "I just survive horrible... accidents... yeah..."

 _Oh. Shit, I think I asked him too personal of a question._ Akio didn't even bother to ask Keishi about his hands, instead nodding his head. "Ah, I see. Sorry for asking then."

"I-it's fine..."

And it was silent again.

Akio and Wakana looked at one another.

Keishi looked to the duo, then quickly glanced away. "You should leave... There's other people to talk to..."

"Ah..." The actor scratched his head. He looked at Keishi for a moment, then looking around the room. "Right..."

Though hesitant, the duo headed outside the room and continued their journey through the school. They walked down from the construction room to the next room. It was a white-colored door with black engravings, musical notes splattered across the door with golden print. Obviously, it was a music room. Excited, the duo headed inside of the room.

Inside of the room were a bunch of folding chairs lined up around a conductor's music stand, then a stood behind the stand. There was a whiteboard behind the stand as well, the words 'The best music is played here!' written in black marker. To the left of the room would be the lockers where the instruments were, violin cases and clarinets to be seen. There were also trophies lined up on a desk, medals hung on the lightly pink-colored walls. To the right of the room were the bigger instruments- a paino, harp, etc. A wonderful miracle for a musician, that's to be sure.

"Do you play any instruments, Wakana?" Akio began, walking to the piano and pressing one of the keys. "I remember playing the piano and violin when I was younger, haha."

Wakana smiled, then shaking her head. "Only a recorder. Nothing special."

"Ah, I see." The actor got off of the piano, observing the trophies. He could see that every single trophy and medal were gold. They were real gold. "Huh, interesting-"

Akio suddenly found himself jumping back the moment he looked to the corner. His eyes fell upon a ghost. A ghost of a woman. A lifeless being.

She blinked. No, she was definitely a living being.

"I-I didn't see you there." Akio laughed nervously, apologetic for not noticing the woman sooner. "My name's Akio, or Blaise, the Ultimate Actor. Wakana over there is the Ultimate Florist. What's your name?"

The woman was silent. It was like she was a lifeless being.

"Uh...?"

"Why would you want to talk to me?" The woman sighed. "I'm Yume Hamasaki, the Ultimate Nihilist, believe it or not, I'm technically a person still, not a lifeless body.

* * *

 **Ultimate Nihilist**

 **Yume Hamasaki**

* * *

Akio frowned. "Ultimate Nihilist...?"

The actor took a look at the woman. The first thing he noticed was that the woman was pale. She was deathly pale. Well, besides that, her hair was long, black, and straight, reaching down to her waist. Her expression was that of exhaustion. Clothing wise, Yume was simply wearing a long white nightgown, created with silk. There were pale blue ribbons around her, but other than that, that was all there is to her, appearance and clothing wise.

Yume noticed the man's confusion, however she didn't seem bothered to comment on it. Instead, she simply stared into nothing but at her feet, silent.

The actor looked at Yume for another moment. "Um, so..." He didn't know where to start. "You look like a lovely person."

The nihilist shook her head. "I'm just a meaningless person. Don't bother talking to me."

Akio couldn't help but let out a saddened gaze, unable to say anything as Wakana walked up to the duo.

"Huh? Are you two alright?" She asked, noticing the silence between the two Ultimates. She frowned, nothing being said in response.

And, like earlier, silence.

"Um, Wakana? Let's go..."

Akio couldn't do anything else. The woman wasn't willing to speak to him nor to even Wakana, and so he was left telling the florist that they should leave. He did wave to the woman, but that was all as he closed the door.

 _Everyone's becoming stranger by the second._

Akio sighed inwardly to himself, then moving down to the left where he found another man standing. He looked to Wakana who shrugged, the duo deciding to encounter the man.

The man seemed to have noticed the duo, lips curving to a friendly smile. He was currently stroking a golden labrador on her head. "Ah! U-uh, I don't believe we have met yet, correct? Who are you?"

Akio threw on a friendly smile in return. "Ultimate Actor, Akio Fukui. However, you could call me Blaise if needed."

Wakana saluted the man exctiably. "Wakana Takane, Ultimate Florist!"

The man nodded. "I see! I-it's lovely to meet you two. My name is Shinjimae Akahoshi, h-however I prefer to be called Shinji." He then heard the labrador barking. "Ah, t-this is my best friend. Her name is S-Saki. Oh, right... I'm the Ultimate Animal Whisperer. Do... Do you like animals too?"

* * *

 **Ultimate Animal Whisperer**

 **Shinjimae 'Shinji' Akahoshi**

* * *

Akio chuckled. "Of course I like animals!" He looked over to the animal who was panting happily. "Saki's really cute too."

"Aw, there's so many animals here!" Wakana petted Saki affectionately. "First were Kazue and Reiji, and now Saki!"

Shinjimae smiled. "O-Oh, Hitomu's cats? Yeah, they're really cute. Saki says that she really likes them."

The actor nodded, then deciding to take a look at Shinjimae. The animal whisperer was of average height, though he seemed quite thin. His face appeared gentle and soft, having a subtly pointed chin and a pale complexion of freckles over his cheeks. His eyes were of doe-shaped and a green hue, eyebrows thin and slightly flattened. His nose was slightly pointed and his hair was an auburn color, hair reaching past his chin and a bit messy in place (though there was a short ahoge sticking from the top). His bangs were cut in a fringe and in a slanted line, hanging above his left eye.

Clothing wise, Shinjimae was wearing a pale blue long-sleeved shirt that was complete with a folded back collar, that being under a pale tangerine sweat-vest with dark blue, purple, and green embroidery/cross links at the bottom in threads. In the center of the sweat-vest was a pattern akin to a heart, made out of individual badges shaped of various animals- animals that includedcats, dogs, turtles, horses, birds and even wild animals. On the bottom, he was wearing a pair of brown shorts which were secured with a thin black belt and buckle shaped like a dog's head, complete with pockets that contain various animal treats. He was wearing a pair of purple socks, little white stars decorating them and a pair of grey sneakers secured with simple laces. There were other accessories as well, those being a pair of paw-print shaped silver cufflinks, a white scarf tucked under his vest-shirt decorated with little dog-faces, and lastly a grey fabric satchel.

"So, since you are an animal whisperer, you can talk to animals, right?"

Shinjimae looked at Wakana and smiled. "A-ah, yes! I can teach you how to read animals too, i-if you want."

"Really?" Wakana's eyes widened. "I would love that! Thank you, Shinji."

The man's smile continued to widen. "I-it's no problem!"

Akio watched the duo engage in small talk, then deciding to eye Saki. The labrador was smiling happily at him, and he couldn't help but smile back. _Hm, but I do think it's strange that whoever kept us here would be so kind as to let pets here as well... I would've thought they would've left the pets astray or kill them..._

Akio inwardly frowned to himself. _That's a horrid thought. To think that someone would kill such cute animals like Saki, Reiji, and Kazue... But still. Is there a specific purpose for keeping the pets here?_

"O-oh, uh, I must be keeping you two busy, huh?" Shinjimae shyly eyed the duo, Saki panting besides him. "I-I'm sorry if I'm taking ahold of your time..."

Wakana shook her head. "Of course not! We were the ones who went up to you anyways! Don't apologize for that!"

"B-but you still want to meet the others, right?" The animal whisperer's smile was nonetheless meek. "P-please don't mind me and go right ahead."

"Um... Hm, alright, sure!"

Wakana waved to Saki and Shinjimae before following Akio down the hallway, turning straight to a door. He opened the door, and was then met with a bright, spacious room. It was a spacious room that was designed as a court. It was a basketball court, the hoops high to the ceiling with a few folding chairs laid around the court. There was a bag of sports items to the left corner of the room, then an air vent close by as well. It was then did the duo notice another pair who were having a conversation.

The first to speak was a woman, her smile wide and friendly. "Are you sure about that?"

The person she was speaking to was a man. "Yes, I am certain."

Akio and Wakana walked towards the duo, confused gazes on their faces. "Excuse me," the actor began, an awkward smile on his face, "but can we introduce ourselves?"

"Of course!" The woman didn't seem to care at all about the interruption, instead her focus now turned to the duo. "My name is Misaki Ueda, and I'm the Surgeon!"

* * *

 **Ultimate Surgeon**

 **Misaki Ueda**

* * *

Misaki was a woman with long black hair which was tied up in a ponytail with a fringe she had covered to her ears, then her eyes the same hue. Her skin was fair in complexion, her face a heart shape and her build slim. Her bust was of average size and her hands were small, and to add another detail in- Misaki had freckles over her cheeks.

The surgeon was wearing a long and loose unbuttoned white lab coat over a tight-fitting green scrubs. There was a surgical mask over her neck, symbolizing her talent as a surgeon. Her shoes were white, and her socks were black. She was also wearing pink-framed glasses over her eyes, and from what Akio could notice Misaki seemed to have secret pockets under her coat. He wondered if that was where she would be hiding her surgical supplies.

"Oh, don't stop me!" The surgeon's smile was wide. "You're Blaise, aren't you?"

Akio smiled back in return. "Pleasure to meet you, Misaki."

"Ooh!" She cupped her hands, swooning. "May I get a DNA sample from you, please?"

"Uh..."

Misaki then stopped, turning to Wakana. "How about you? Can I get a sample from you too?"

Wakana was unable to say anything, unsure of what to say. She looked to the actor who shrugged.

"Don't worry about her. She asked everyone that earlier."

Akio looked to the unfamiliar voice, then finding himself eyeing the man Misaki had been talking to earlier. "And who might you be?"

"Kyatchi Sesshoku, Ultimate Juggler. I doubt you'll even bother to remember it."

* * *

 **Ultimate Juggler**

 **Kyatchi Sesshoku**

* * *

Akio inwardly frowned to himself, observing the man from top to bottom. He pursed his lips. _Huh, he looks athletic, if not for his attire...he definitely did not look like the typical juggler type too..._

Kyatchi was a man with dark red hair which was brushed up in the front (most likely with hair gel), his half-lidded eyes a bright blue hue. His skin was a tan shade and he held an athletic fit, muscle noticeable in his frame. His nose was Greek-shaped and his lips were arched, fingernails trimmed and scars/cuts over his arms and elbows. There was a small circle-shaped birthmark on his right leg, and finally, there was a jester hat tattoo on his left shoulder.

For casual wear, the man was wearing a sleeveless maroon dress shirt with an unbuttoned collar and a black-and-red stripped dress vest. On the bottom Kyatchi was wearing gray dress pants with his sneakers gray and black, socks black. There was a bright red bandana that was wrapped around his left wrist, a blue one on his right, then a white bowtie which was undone and around his neck, and finally a small brown bag around his waist.

The actor proceeded to do his routine. "I'm Akio Fukui, but please call me Blaise if you want to."

Wakana stepped into the fray. "And I'm Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist. Nice to meet you."

"So," Misaki interjected abruptly, "are any of you two willing to give me your DNA samples? I'll give you the luxury of handing you your full results for free later!"

"Sounds tantalizing," the juggler began, toying with his bandanas, "but I rather not be susceptible to learning that I have two mothers."

Silence.

Wakana looked awkwardly at the man. "Uh..."

"That was a joke." Kyatchi sighed underneath his breath.

"Dark!" Misaki did not care about the joke at all, instead proudly nodding her head. "I like it!"

Kyatchi raised a brow. "Are you sure about that?"

Akio couldn't help but feel like the awkwardness was beginning to increase within seconds.

"So!" The actor decided to speak. "Does anyone know where exactly are we and what exactly are our kidnappers going to do about us?"

The juggler rolled his eyes. "To sell our organs to the black market by cutting us up nicely like raw meat."

Misaki shook her head, frowning. "I doubt our kidnappers would be surgeons, nor people with such horrible mindsets."

Akio decided to not speak anymore, instead deadpanning before shaking his head and sighing. _I think Kyatchi's trying to lighten up the mood, but what he said is a really likely possibility. Hm..._

The sound of a schoolbell rang.

"Ahem! May everyone please report to the auditorium? I repeat, can everyone report to the auditorium? Announcements will be held there. Important, fucking announcements!"

And then it was silent.

* * *

... This is the end of this chapter! How do you like it so far? Are you liking or disliking any of the characters already? Please state your comments in your reviews, and you can also vote on the poll as well as to who you like, etc.!

Anyways, I have nothing much to say about this other than that I hope you are excited for this story as well as I am. I'll see you here next time!


	4. Prologue - Part 2

And here is the last chapter of the prologue! I hope you all will enjoy it! Also, I'm seeing that Blanchard is quite the popular character right now. Interesting~

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Glad you liked Akio and Wakana as a duo! Yes, I want to make the Ultimates at least aware of the other's presence. Glad you liked a lot of the characters already, and I'm happy I portrayed Ayako well!"

 **liammarklh88:** "I'm glad you liked the introductions! Haha, it makes me happy to know you like Wakana and Akio. I'm glad you liked a lot of the other characters too, and of course, a lot of things will happen with all of them, including Kyatchi! Glad you're liking the story so far!"

 **PoisonBanana:** "Haha, glad to see you here! Yeah, Akio and Wakana are quite the lovely duo together. Mhm, well, Watari is someone to keep an eye on, for sure. Haha, well, let's see how you feel about him down the road. Animals are always adorable! Of course, everyone will get the chance to shine either sooner or later! Glad you love my writing style haha!"

 **Wricano:** "Thanks! Glad you liked it so far! Haha, well, Misaki is a little ball of energy. Glad you're liking a lot of characters so far. Haha, well, I wanted to make Watari unique since there's been quite a lot of Ultimate Detectives around here... Well, hope you'll like this chapter!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Yes, the setting is typical, but I'm glad you liked it so far! Haha, and your thoughts are interesting for sure. What you hypothesize for each character and their personality... Well, let's see if they're right! Nonetheless, you're quite observant haha. I'm also glad I'm writing Tomoyo well, but feel free to give me pointers on how I could portray her better if I slip. I'm glad you liked the cast overall, and it's common to feel neutral or unsure on a few. Well, let's see if you change your mind about any of them in the future."

 **ToonGuy:** "Aww, I'm glad you liked the introductions! Haha, glad you're hooked. Well, yeah, I do, but that's for the future. Haha, love your first impressions as always, and I'm glad you like a lot of them! Wakana being Kaede to you is either going to be bad or good, depending on her future haha. Well, yeah, I wanted to make Watari feel unique in his own right, haha. I'm glad I captured Masako well! Haha, Blanchard is quite the popular one, overall. Glad you liked the start, and of course, this is Danganronpa- characters will have to die, sooner or later~"

 **ThePersonOfNothing:** "Glad you liked the chapter! And I'm happy I portrayed Keishi well!"

 **Meta King:** "Yume is definitely a unique character, that's for sure! Haha, that comment on Watari. I'm glad you liked my writing style, and haha, well Akio is a much more observant character than one would expect. Haha, I like that nickname for Tomoyo, it does rhyme with her name, after all."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Glad the cast is colorful! I'm glad you're liking Akio so far, and haha his interactions with Wakana are pretty cute. I'm happy I portrayed Hitomu well, and even his cats for that matter! Mhm, well, being jumpy means they have a lot of backstory! Also, you should pat yourself on the back for getting Masako and Keishi's talents well! Interesting thoughts for sure, and I'm sure you'll form an opinion on the others sooner or later. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"

 **Shyjoker:** "Haha, loving the comparisons. Akio is a protagonist for a reason, after all. And glad you're liking Wakana so far! I'm glad I portrayed Blanchard and Viorel well! Ack, I never even noticed I said Decebel and not Decebal, aah. Oh, gosh! You're really giving yourself a lot of work! Having to draw so many characters, I can't imagine how much work that is! Haha, I'm sure it'll all be worth it in the end though."

* * *

Akio frowned. He looked back to the where the voice came from- silence only remained. He pursed his lips, thinking to himself. _That totally does not sound suspicious. Was that the person who kidnapped us? But that voice... He sounds like a child..._

The actor looked over to Wakana, her eyes blinking rapidly in worry. Her body was scrunched over. "Um, w-what should we do, Blaise?"

Akio crossed his arms, frowning. "We have no other choice but to go, correct?" He then let out a small smile, ruffling the woman's hair. "Don't worry. I'm sure we'll be fine, Wakana."

"O-of course!" The florist forced a wide smile. She slapped her cheeks, pumping her fists up. "Let's go then!"

Akio nodded. He gestured Wakana outside of the room, having noticed that Misaki and Kyatchi have already left. The duo could tell that they would be the last ones to report to the auditorium, but nonetheless Akio wanted to make sure Wakana was fine. He could see her stumble a little in her steps, so he made extra caution to keep an eye for the florist.

A minute passed before the duo walked towards the auditorium. Akio opened the door, noticing that the rest of the Ultimates were inside. Each high schooler had took a seat on the chairs from below the stage. The actor frowned. He honestly wasn't sure if he should give their supposed kidnapper the honor of their politeness. Still, he gestured Wakana to a seat, and as he and the woman took a seat down did the schoolbell began to ring again.

It echoed throughout the auditorium. Murmurs escaped the room.

It continued to ring and ring, but then- it was silent.

Silent, and suddenly something fell from the sky.

More specifically, a monochrome bear fell from the ceiling and straight to the stage. The bear had backflipped straight down and was now standing as perfectly as can be to the naked eye. Strangely, his red eye seemed to shine, glitter. He was most definitely proud of his work, turning to the audience. "Tada!"

"What?"

Akio couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

The bear frowned. There had yet to be applause nor whistles. There was no sign of excitement from the Ultimates, and the bear was not at all pleased. "Sheesh, you guys are a tough crowd. This is why I fucking hate high schoolers! They're all assholes like you guys!"

"Is that...?" Tomoyo's voice escaped the air. She was whispering to Kiyoko who had her arms crossed. "Is that a stuffed bear?"

"T-this is impossible!" Masako's voice, although quiet, was desperate and shocked. "I-it's a talking bear!"

Hitomu quickly shushed the crowd, especially his two cats who were snarling at the bear. "Let's listen to what the bear has to say! We're not in any position to speak right now!"

Akio bit into his lips. _Right... For all we know, the bear here's our kidnapper. I don't know how, but..._

"Damn. I think I'll like Moomoo there for a while!" The bear grinned mischeviously at Hitomu, the cat keeper's eyes widening. He then looked back at the group, staring at them as a whole. "Ahem! I know you are all confused right now, but that's just a part of life! You will meet many shitty things from left and right, and you will meet many talking bears from left and right- No, wait, shit. My bad. I meant that you will meet _the only_ talking bear in your life- moi, Monsieur Monokuma!"

Kiyoko raised a brow. Her lips pursed. "H-he's speaking French now...?"

"S-So I'm guessing his name's..." Shinjimae's face was pale. He didn't know how to react in this situation, only hugging Saki for support. "...Monokuma?"

"Correctomingo!" Monokuma reeled his head back, laughing obnoxiously. A few seconds passed before his laughter subsided, the bear now clearing his throat. "Well, now that my name's out of the way, I'll tell you all my purpose here! My purpose here is to watch over you guys, to be your overseer!"

"Overseer?" Misaki jumped. "So you're our kidnapper?!"

"Kidnapper, overseer- whatever you want, I'll take it. I'll even take 'that fucking bear'." Monokuma's smirk was grim. "Why did I kidnap you? How did I kidnap you? How was I able to round you all up in this place? Well, the answers, my dear friends, are- Fuck, like I'm gonna tell you!"

 _Not surprised._ Akio inwardly smirked. Sweat was trickling down his forehead. He knew their lives were at naught.

"So, who exactly is controlling you?" Watari's voice rang throughout the air. The detective was staring at Monokuma, smirking back in return. "We know for certain that bears cannot talk, but robotic bears could. We also know for certain that those who kidnap Ultimates are set at a dangerously high reward value if caught, so I wouldn't say it's not at all uncommon for a kidnapper to hide their face to evade those risks. So, who's controlling you?"

Monokuma eyed the detective for a moment, silent. It was then did he put his paws to his mouth. "Upupupu! Now why would I tell you that? It doesn't really matter if you guys will die anyways. Besides, I'm a real-life talking bear."

"You think?" Watari tilted his head. "Even if you say that, your methods of killing us aren't exactly common, now are they? We're still alive, after all. Not only that, but if you wanted to kill us you could've easily tied us up, rot us to death... Hell, tie us to a table and torture us there. If I had to come to a conclusion, then your purpose in kidnapping us is not for obtaining fortune, but for your own amusement."

"Those do sound tantalizing." Monokuma chuckled. "But you're right. Money, fame- those things don't mean shit to me. What I care about is to make you all feel despair- to make you all fall into the deepest depths of it. What I want you guys to do is to participate in a killing game."

Silence.

"... A what?"

"Didn't I tell you?" The overseer's chuckles began falling into an insane fit of laughter. "I want you all to kill one another!"

A small chuckle escaped the room. It was coming from Kyatchi, the juggler shaking his head. "That's quite the dark humor you've set us up for. I must admit the buildup was quite suspenseful."

"Joking? Ha, Chichi, you're quite the imaginative one." Monokuma crossed his arms. "I'm telling you all the truth! I want you all to slaughter one another, and after the death of one of you guys-" He let out a small giggle. "-I want you all to participate in a class trial of life or death."

Yume let out a small yawn.

"What?" Ayako was on the brink of tears. "W-what're you talking about?"

"Am I not being specific enough?" The bear rolled his eyes, groaning. "Seriously, a killing game means that you will kill each other! However, I'm putting my own fucking twist on it- and that is whoever killed someone will cause a class trial to occur! When someone dies, a class trial will commence! You all have to find the one who killed your own kind and bring justice to them, or fail to find them in the trial and end up being punished instead! It's that easy to understand!"

"Class trial..." Hitomu cupped his chin, face paling. "Killing someone... Why would we do that?"

"Aah! The more smarter a person is, the more stupider they get!" Monokuma slapped his forehead, obviously appalled by the Ultimates' behaviors. "Isn't it obvious why you have to kill someone? Because I told you to! It's that simple!"

Keishi bit into his lips. He was cupping his hands, fiddling with his fingers. Guilt was written over his face. "My bad luck..."

"We will not commit such an atrocious act." Blanchard spoke through clenched teeth. He looked dismayed over the situation. "Viorel and I have came to a conclusion that you are speaking nonsence."

"Nonsence?! Pssh, you and your other self can go fuck off!" Monokuma flipped the butler. He then whipped his head to the audience, paws clenching into fists. "You kids are the worst! Think you're all that just because you're Ultimates?! It's obvious that someone will snap here, and someone will die." The bear grinned, tone suddenly relaxed. "It's simple. It's the reality of this world- people aren't that unselfish. Everything everyone does is selfish."

"T-that's a lie!" Ayako wiped the tears from her eyes. "We're not going to kill anyone! We're not going to listen to you!"

"Nothing but a lie- you will listen to me, and you will all fall down sooner or later." The overseer chuckled. He brought his paws behind his back, walking to and fro from the stage. "Well, since now that's out of the way, let me go give you all your MonoPads."

"MonoPads?" Akio raised a brow.

"Yup, yup, my wonderful Aki!" Monokuma pointed straight at the actor. "I will give each and every single one of you your own special MonoPad! Woohoo, isn't that splendid?"

"Not really," Yume murmured underneath her breath.

"Well, it matters not, bitch!"

Monokuma grinned. He threw his arms forth, suddenly, as if appearing from thin air, a bombard of 'MonoPads' began falling down to the audience.

Akio flinched as a MonoPad came falling down towards him, but he quickly caught it. Strangely, the MonoPad was light. If the device were to hit him it wouldn't do much other than a bruise, thankfully. He bit into his lips as he examined the item. The MonoPad he was holding was a forest green shade. The device was as large as both of his hands, the item covering his hands fully. He could see a button on the side, and pressing it, the device was turned on.

 **["Welcome, Akio 'Blaise' Fukui"]**

Akio bit into his lips. He didn't expect the device to greet him, nor did he expect the screen to display his name in such a bloody hue. It was almost like the device was telling him to die. The brunette held his breath, the screen slowly disappearing from its black hue and transitioning to a menu board.

 **[Profiles]/[Items (Unavailable)]/[Rules]/[Truth Bullets (Unavailable)]/[Chatroom]**

The actor frowned. There were a lot of things to select, but Akio first decided to click onto the profile application. The screen changed, and suddenly Akio found himself staring at his identification card and profile.

 **[Name: Akio 'Blaise' Fukui**

 **Age: 16 Years Old**

 **Birthday: 4 January XXXX**

 **Likes: Movies, Television Shows, Sweets**

 **Dislikes: Disruptions, Bitter Food, Rats**

 **Note: He is most referred to by his nickname 'Blaise' because of his stardom in the entertainment industry.]**

The actor held his breath. He honestly couldn't say much about what he was reading. It was accurate. It was scarily accurate, and Akio could only wonder how Monokuma was able to obtain such information. The bear certainly did his research, and the actor quickly left the application. He noticed that the items and truth bullets were unavailable, and although curious, he instead decided to glance over the rules.

The screen flashed a bloody hue, and the rules were highlighted in black.

 **[Rule 1: It is forbidden to harm the overseer, Monokuma. Doing so will result in immediate punishment.**

 **Rule 2: It is forbidden to break your MonoPads, nonetheless anything inside of the building (though there are certain areas that are exempted from this). Doing so will result in immediate punishment.**

 **Rule 3: Daytime will be at 7 AM, and nighttime will be at 8 PM. During this time period, Ultimates are free to roam around the school with minimal restrictions. Anytime before or after this period of time, most of the areas in the building will be forbidden to enter.**

 **Rule 4: Leaving the building is strictly forbidden. Doing so will result in immediate punishment.**

 **Rule 5: Killing someone will result in a class trial.**

 **Rule 6: Additional rules will be added when necessary.]**

Akio frowned. Of course, he was much more worried about the fifth rule than anything else, however he couldn't help but feel imprisoned. Monokuma had forced them into the building and the moment they were to rebel against him, they would be punished. Akio wasn't even entirely sure what 'punishment' the bear's talking about, but his stomach churned. He knew it wouldn't be good.

The actor took a deep breath. He left the rules, now looking at the last application available. It was the chatroom. He clicked onto it.

 **[Chatroom: Welcome to the chatroom! Here you can speak happily with your friends, either privately, in groups, or together as a whole! You can even speak to Monokuma if you have any questions. However, no bullying!**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

The actor raised a brow. He didn't know what to make of the chatroom at all. All he could distinguish was that the chatroom held access to not only him and the others, but the overseer as well. Akio wouldn't have expected Monokuma to prepare them with such a thing, but he couldn't really argue much about it.

 _That means I could message Monokuma privately and demand some answers from him..._ Akio then frowned. _But that also means that anyone could text anyone, and if someone wanted to kill..._

Akio quickly shook his head. _No, I shouldn't think about that. We won't fall into his hands so easily._

The actor shut off the device, now looking back to Monokuma who had begun to speak again.

"So, my fellow bastards, how do you like it?" Monokuma grinned. "Pretty neat, right?"

"It would be if it hadn't come from you." Kiyoko crossed her arms, annoyed. "What the hell's up with the item and truth bullet sections anyways? Why're they unavailable?"

"Oh, the item section will only be available once you all get the chance to find objects to give to your little friends." The bear did not care at all if Kiyoko or the others were baffled. He continued anyways. "And the truth bullets will only be available when a murder occurs and a class trial starts."

"Okay then..." The recreation worker did not speak anymore.

"Anyways, don't even bother asking me anymore questions!" The bear crossed his arms together. "You have the liberty of asking me shit in the chatroom! An old bear like me gets tired easily, y'know?! I'm gonna go rest now, so take care! I'll see you all soon!"

"Wait-"

It was too late. Somehow, someway, the bear disappeared from the stage.

Silence escaped the room.

Akio could feel it- that sense of distrust between one another. Although everyone disliked the idea of a killing game nor the idea of killing altogether, there was no doubt that they didn't believe the other felt the same. Everyone didn't know each other well, or, at least well to their liking. They have been kidnapped, and they were susceptible to the stress that would cause them to become murderers.

Who knows what Monokuma could do? Who knows what the other could do?

Everyone couldn't trust one another completely, and Akio knew that.

"H-hey, this can't be real, right?" Masako's voice rang throughout the room. The poor woman was shaking. "A-a killing game... I-it's just impossible!"

"This is surely nothing more than a dark prank." Kyatchi crossed his arms, letting out a wry grin. "A horribly planned out prank."

"You think?" Misaki raised a brow. "I'm not sure about you, but it definitely sounds real to me..."

Tomoyo shook her head. "L-let's not think about that, alright? We just need to find a way out, that's all!"

Blanchard nodded his head. "I agree with Ms. Tomoyo over there." He switched the eyepatch, Viorel suddenly to be seen. "Yeah! That bear's spouting nothing but bull-" The eyepatch was forcibly switched. "Lies, Viorel."

A laugh escaped the room. Everyone's eyes fell to Watari. "You guys are pathetic." The detective smirked at the group. "Panicking like this will do nothing. Instead of whining and crying about the situation, why don't you all put your brains to the test and think?"

Akio frowned. He couldn't stand hearing the detective speak to them- as if Watari was superior. "Then do you have any idea on what we should do?" The actor asked, glaring at the shorter man. "You're not thinking about actually listening to what that bear's saying, right?"

Watari's smirk darkened. "Who knows, Aki? Maybe listening to Monokuma will give us an advantage."

Akio held his breath. "What does that mean?"

The detective winked, then turning around. Before anyone had the chance to respond, the man was gone. He left, and the door was shut closed.

"Let's not worry about Watari for a bit. For now, first of all, we need to calm down," Hitomu said, trying to ignore what had happened. Reiji and Kazue were nuzzling against his arms. "We can't let Monokuma tell us what to do. We need to find a way to escape."

Ayako nodded rapidly. "I agree! I don't wanna be here!"

"There must be a way out of here," Wakana murmured to herself. She was biting into her nail, teeth clattering. "A way out of here... A way..."

"We should investigate this entire building for a second time." Akio crossed his arms, firm. "We may have found nothing before, but maybe we'll be able to find something now."

"Y-yeah, you have a p-point." Shinjimae shakily stroked Saki's fur. "Y-you think we should ask Monokuma through t-t-the chatroom?"

"Doesn't hurt us to try." Akio let out a relaxing smile, eyebrows then burrowed back to a frown. "We should split up into pairs and search around the school for a second time."

"Alright, that works." Kiyoko nodded to herself.

The group took the time to sort out the pairs. At Shinjimae's request, he would be stuck inside of the auditorium to message Monokuma alongside Hitomu. Misaki and Ayako were to go upstairs to eye the construction site, Yume and Kyatchi to eye the gym. Masako and Keishi were to check the classrooms down the halls, Blanchard and Kiyoko to check the dormitories and library. That left Akio, Tomoyo, and Wakana to check the kitchen.

The groups headed out, Akio leading the two women towards the kitchen. He opened the door for the duo, and he followed suit afterwards. The door swung closed, and Akio could still smell the faint aroma of seasoned salmon.

 _I'm hungry._

Akio put a hand to his stomach. Yes, it was definitely growling. It was growling, and it was loud. The actor looked to Tomoyo and Wakana who were eyeing him. He awkwardly laughed and scratched his head. "Well... Guess I'm the only one who's hungry, huh?"

"Don't worry about it." Tomoyo let out a small smile. "Today's been tiring, so it, um, makes sense for you to be hungry."

"I'm getting hungry too, now that I think about it." The florist let out a sheepish smile. "I wonder if Hitomu left us enough to eat. I thought he'll give the fish to his cats, after all."

Akio shrugged. "Well, we could still fetch ourselves a snack." The man looked to Tomoyo. "Are you hungry? I'll go in the kitchen and fetch you a snack."

"N-no, I can walk there myself anyways!" Tomoyo laughed nervously. She bowed her head to the man. "Thank you for asking though."

The actor smiled back in return. "Alright, then I'll go fetch myself and Wakana a snack. You two can stay here and rest for a bit. I'll be back."

Akio headed his way into the kitchen. He looked around the room for a bit, then noticing a wrapped plate to the side of the counter. He walked over to the plate, noticing a few slices of salmon inside. He could see a note to the right- "If anyone's hungry, please take some". Akio let out a small smile. _Hitomu's like a parent here._ He unwrapped the plate, then looking around. He opened the cabinet and grabbed ahold of two plates, putting a salmon slice on each one. He walked over to the rice cooker, putting some on the side, then heading back out.

The man placed the plates down to the table, then eyeing Tomoyo. "Are you sure you're not hungry? I can go fix some up for you."

"No, I'm fine. Really." The woman smiled. She stood back up from her seat. "You two should eat. I'll look around this place myself for a bit."

Akio eyed the woman for a moment, then shrugging. "Alright then. But don't push yourself. We'll quickly eat and help you out in a bit."

Tomoyo let out a chuckle before touring the dining room. She was spending her time looking through each corner, each piece of dirt, etc. She couldn't find anything, but she continued to look nonetheless. She continued to look as minutes passed. Akio watched the woman from the sidelines, biting into his piece of salmon and rice. _She's pretty stubborn, huh?_

The actor inwardly sighed as he eyed his food. _I should finish up quickly._

Akio quickly gulped down his food in a matter of minutes. He was about ready to stand up from a sudden thought escaped his mind. His eyes glanced to his MonoPad, and he quickly took it out. Setting it on the table, he turned the power on and tapped to the chatroom.

 _Oh wow..._

Akio couldn't believe what he was seeing.

 **[Chatroom:** **Welcome to the chatroom! Here you can speak happily with your friends, either privately, in groups, or together as a whole! You can even speak to Monokuma if you have any questions. However, no bullying!**

 **Shinjimae: Um, Monokuma, is it alright if I ask you a question? (03:59 PM)**

 **Monokuma: Yeah, that's cool with me, you bastard! Spill it! (04:01 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Alright... (04:01 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: U-um... Is there any chance of us finding an escape route? (04:03 PM)**

 **Monokuma: Wow! (04:04 PM)**

 **Monokuma: I didn't think you would actually confront me about this! (04:05 PM)**

 **Monokuma: But, lol, no, there isn't. (04:05 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: W-What? But... (04:06 PM)**

 **Monokuma: I'm not lying! Here, I'll send you some pics! (04:06 PM)**

 **-Monokuma Sent A File: LAYOUTOFFLOORS- (04:08 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: ... Oh. (04:09 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

Akio was shocked. He never expected for the overseer to be so willing to answer Shinjimae's problem, nor nonetheless actually reply. The actor frowned, now staring at the file that Monokuma had sent. He was suspicious, but curious. He hesitated for a moment, then tapping the file.

The file downloaded for a few seconds, then bringing Akio to an array of pictures.

The pictures shown were those of the building. They were pictures of the building's layout, each room, etc. There were even pictures of each single item that was inside of their respective rooms, Akio noticing the fridge from the kitchen and a specific wornout desk from the farthest classroom. And, like Monokuma promised, the angles shown of each room proved that there was nothing to be seen- no escape route, anything.

Akio's heart raced. He expected such, but his mind wanted to believe otherwise.

 _Maybe Monokuma photoshopped some of the pictures here...? No, that can't be possible. I don't think he'll do that. But... Is there really no escape route here, or is it just hidden from us in plain sight? Maybe there is an escape route and the pictures here are showing me that, but I can't decipher where it is..._

Akio took a deep breath. He looked over to the screenwriter who walked out of the kitchen. "Have you checked the chatroom yet, Tomoyo?"

"The chatroom?" Tomoyo eyed the actor for a moment, then eyes widening. She turned on her device and read through the messages. Her lips slowly curved to a frown, fingers scrolling down. "... Is Monokuma even trustworthy?"

"I don't know, but he could've easily ignored Shinji if he didn't want to answer." The actor frowned. "It's a possibility that Monokuma is telling us the truth, but there's also a possibility of an escape route being hidden from plain sight."

"Like a secret passageway?" Wakana eyed the duo curiously. She was nibbling into her piece of fish.

"Like those typical adventure and fantasy movies?" Akio let out a goofy smile. "I think I have a pretty good grasp of what you're imagining right now."

Tomoyo giggled. "Me too."

"You didn't find anything?" Akio asked, now looking back at the screenwriter.

"Sadly not." The woman shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I doubt we would've found much in this room." The actor let out a playful chuckle. He stood up from his seat, grabbing his plate. He walked over to the kitchen, putting it into the sink and heading back outside. There, he crossed his arms and looked around the room for a while. He walked to and fro, moving from place to place. Like Tomoyo, he had found nothing. He sighed, now looking back at the two women. "Don't worry about it. Even if nothing was found here, the others might've found something. I just know we'll get out of here. I know it."

"Of course." Tomoyo let out a smile. "I would think someone would've found something in the library."

"True." Wakana pumped her fists up. "There's no need for us to give up right now!"

Akio chuckled. He adored how energetic and determined the florist could be. He honestly adored that. "Wakana, are you finish with you food? I'll take your plate to the kitchen if you're done."

"O-oh! Right." Wakana's cheeks blushed a faint red hue. She shyly passed the plate to Akio. "Thank you, Blaise."

"It's no problem."

The man ruffled Wakana's hair before leaving, putting the plate back in the kitchen. He took a short moment to look around the area, but seeing nothing but snacks and utensils, he headed back outside.

"Alright." Akio clapped his hands together. "If we're finished here, let's go back to the auditorium. The others might already be waiting for us."

With those words, the trio began heading their way back to the auditorium. Like Akio had hypothesized, everyone else (excluding Watari) was present. There were murmurs that escaped the room. Hitomu was speaking to Kiyoko and a few others, Ayako taking the time to stroke the animals nearby. Akio could then see Kyatchi who jumped at the lolita fashion model, and nonetheless the juggler seemed amused at his little prank. The short woman was fuming. Other than those mentioned, everyone else was silent, wondering what to do.

"... I guess everyone's here."

Blanchard's voice broke the tension.

Everyone was now silent, and Hitomu took the time to clap his hands together. He looked firmly at the group, taking the position of a leader. "First off, have you all seen what Monokuma said in the chatroom?"

"The one where he was talking to Shinji?" Kiyoko crossed her arms, frowning. "Yeah. I don't think we should blindly trust what he says though."

"Agreed!" Ayako's hands were clenched into fists. "There has to be a way out of here!"

Misaki tilted her head. "Maybe restraining Monokuma would be smart?"

"I rather not risk punishment," Keishi murmured from the corner. He didn't bother to engage with the group at all. "Whatever that punishment is though..."

"Keishi's right." Hitomu bit into his lips. Kazue and Reiji took the time to snuggle around his body. "If we want to escape out of here unscatched, we need to be discreet and nonetheless meticulous. We still need to keep in mind about..." The cat keeper gulped. "...this entire killing game mess."

"N-no one's gonna kill anybody though!" Ayako whined. "Don't even mention that!"

The recreation worker let out a scoff. "That's what we would like to believe, but we don't exactly believe that completely, huh?"

"How about Watari?" Wakana asked, looking at the group.

"Right..." Shinjimae fiddled with his fingers. "I-I'm a bit worried about him, t-to be honest..."

Yume sighed to herself. "I'm not."

"I'm sure Watari won't plan anything." Hitomu looked at the group, a reassuring smile resting on his face. "I doubt he would plan anything sinister against us. Besides, even if he held such intentions, it wouldn't exactly be the best idea. We would've pinned him easily as a murderer in a case of a murder."

"True..." Akio nodded. "But I still think we need to keep an eye on him."

"We can talk to him through the chatroom!" Wakana clapped her hands together. "As long as he reports to us what he's doing and take pictures of where he is, then-"

"That's not a good idea." Kiyoko frowned. "I do not think Watari would share information so kindly to us. He doesn't seem to be willing to talk to us on friendly terms, after all. He always refused to answer anything I tell him, if that means anything."

 _True..._ The actor pursed his lips.

"But that doesn't mean we can't try to look out for him." Hitomu crossed his arms. "Everyone is in this together, and that includes Watari. I honestly believe he won't do anything to us. I'm sure he's as angry at Monokuma as we are. Let's trust him."

"I guess you're right." Kiyoko sighed. She scratched her head. "I'll go look for him later then."

"You sure?" Akio turned to the woman.

"Yeah, I'm sure." The recreation worker raised a brow. "I doubt he'll try to attack me."

"I mean..." Shinjimae averted his gaze. "S-sure..."

Hitomu let out another smile, then frowning after a few seconds. "So, now that that's out of the way- has anyone found anything?"

Silence.

Blanchard cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, Viorel and I have not found anything of importance. Considering the silence in this room, I suppose everyone else hasn't found anything."

"R-really?" Masako was sweating.

Silence continued to escape the room. A horrible, horrible tension.

Keishi held his breath. "So is it truly hopeless...?"

The tension was continuing to grow worse and worse.

Akio bit into his lips. He couldn't stand this any longer.

"Hey! But that doesn't mean we're stuck!"

The actor quickly threw out a confident smile. He wanted to do his best. He wanted to keep the atmosphere optimistic, if at least for a while. He didn't want everyone's morale to deter, after all. It was needed to counter Monokuma. It was definitely needed in order to survive, in order to live.

"Look! Even if we haven't found anything today, tomorrow we might find something worthwhile. Besides, a case can't be solved in one day. It takes people days, weeks to find what they're looking for."

"Y-yeah!" Wakana nodded her head rapidly. "I agree with Blaise. There might be a hidden passageway in this school."

"You think so?" Misaki seemed intruiged.

Hitomu smiled himself. "That is a possibility. Of course, we aren't going to give up so easily. We'll definitely find a way out."

Everyone slowly began to speak, murmuring to one another. The atmosphere slowly began to lose tension, and soon Akio could see those hopeful smiles on everyone's faces. Those hopeful smiles were needed definitely.

They were needed for what's about to come.

* * *

Haha, sorry this took a long time to finish! I was busy studying and being tested, so there's that... Well, I don't think this busy schedule will be over until late May or so, but fear not! I will still try my best to update this story and Disparity! Haha, I mean, I did write most of this chapter in one day, but still! I'm also sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than what I usually write at, but, well, the prologue shouldn't take too long (and I'm busy)... Don't worry! The next chapter will definitely have a lot of exciting events! Also, please vote on who you want to see in the FTE events!

Hope to see you all again soon, and especially in this story's official first chapter!


	5. Chapter 1 - Part 1, Part A

Hello, and welcome to the official first chapter of the story! Here is where the meat of the story is... I hope you will all enjoy this!

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Haha, well, I'm glad you found a lot to talk about in such a short chapter. Aw, I'm glad you enjpy Wakana and Akio's interactions! Ah, of course. I will try to write more character interactions as the story goes on. Relationships are important in a story, after all. Interesting observations, and let us see what is Monokuma exactly. Glad you noticed Keishi's reaction! I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter so far with the rules and group interactions, etc.! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter as well!"

 **liammarklh88:** "Same with me, honestly. It's pretty hard to get used to a cast at first! Haha, glad you enjoyed how I am writing Kyatchi. Akio and Minori are already different from the get-go, haha. Ah, and, well, people who are shipped with the main character tends to die first, so be careful with pairing people! Haha, well, let's hope the beautiful random number generator will allow us to see his FTE! Thanks!"

 **Meta King:** "Ships are the best, are they not? Haha, glad you enjoyed that. Jesus Christ, that 'Watery' name fits so well. So many questions, but are they ever answered?"

 **PoisonBanana:** "Haha, glad you enjoyed the hair ruffling. Yes, well, I would be afraid if an entire cast of high schoolers react to Monokuma's killing game announcement in excitement and happiness. Glad you enjoyed Watari so far! Haha, hope you'll enjoy this one!"

 **ToonGuy:** "Haha, well, yeah, and of course I'll try to balance character interactions and all that a lot! I haven't tried the chatroom idea myself till now, so let's see how that goes! Hitomu is a beautiful leader, and seeing you worry for him for his role is, well, understandable haha. Aw, glad you enjoyed Akio and the two women! Lol, well, Watari will be this story's standout asshole, so hooray for that! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"

* * *

Akio had honestly never looked at his room until morning.

He was tired from investigating the area. He was tired from how sudden the events were.

To be kidnapped and forced into a killing game was definitely not an everyday occurrence.

Even if he acted like he was fine yesterday, he was actually really sleepy.

The actor sighed, waking up from his sleep. Honestly, he never knew when he had slept or how he ended up inside of his supposed room, but he supposed he couldn't complain nonetheless. He was wearing his pajamas, and so the brunette concluded that he must've halfheartedly brought himself to his room.

 _Well... Now that I'm supposedly full of energy, I've noticed... the room here is actually really 'royal-like'._

That was the exact word to describe the room. Akio was inside of a room that was suited best for a prince, the walls a beautiful forest green room. It was a serene setting, the bed Akio was on possibly a king's bed. The pillows were soft and white, befitting the white blankets. Next to both of his sides were two small brown desks, lamps sitting atop. There was a cabinet that Akio spotted to the farthest right of the room, a vase of red and white roses to be seen atop. However, Akio noticed that there was no need for the cabinet, a closet seen right next to the doorway out of the room. Well, he digressed. To the left side the man could see a comfortable green sofa, then next to that was a door on the right side. The door had a sign that said 'Restroom'.

 _This place is seriously fancy... Are we inside some top-tier school or something? Not even my acting school was this fancy..._

Akio couldn't help but let out a small smile. He jumped off from his bed and walked over to the cabinet, opening up the top shelf. There, he spotted his MonoPad and keycard.

 _A keycard? Hm... Well, given the fact that we're in a 'killing game', I guess it makes sense for Monokuma to give us at least some form of safety. I suppose he wanted us to figure this out for ourselves._

Akio sighed, placing the keycard next to the vase. He decided to check out his MonoPad, booting it up. He realized instantly that people have been texting in the chatroom.

 **[Chatroom: Welcome to the chatroom! Here you can speak happily with your friends, either privately, in groups, or together as a whole! You can even speak to Monokuma if you have any questions. However, no bullying!**

 **(More on top...)**

 **Ayako: I'm really scared. Is Monokuma seriously thinking about this whole 'killing game' idea? (10:32 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Shouldn't you be asleep? (10:35 PM)**

 **Ayako: I could ask you the same question! (10:36 PM)**

 **Hitomu: Don't worry about it. As long as we stay calm and make sure that everyone's fine, this killing game won't happen. (10:39 PM)**

 **Tomoyo: I agree with Hitomu! (10:39 PM)**

 **Ayako: What about Watari though? (10:40 PM)**

 **Hitomu: I'm sure he won't kill us. (10:41 PM)**

 **Kiyoko: Y'know, he could read this chat. He's in our group, Ayako. (10:41 PM)**

 **Ayako: Oh! Sorry Watari! (10:42 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

Akio let out a sigh as he read through the messages. Not only did this signal how quickly the man fell asleep, but it also signaled a rooted worry for Watari. The brunette knew that Watari would be a problem in the group's unity, and honestly he wasn't sure if the man was willing to play nice. He had a feeling that the detective was much more amused with the killing game than sustaining relationships.

Well, it didn't matter. Akio knew that if Watari were to follow Monokuma's ideas then everyone else would do their best to fight against him. The actor was sure that their unity couldn't be equal to Monokuma's schemes nor Watari's.

Akio nodded to himself. Yes, he was confident in that. He was confident that they would stop Monokuma.

 _I mean, the statistics of an Ultimate being saved once they've been kidnapped is really low... But still, it's not impossible._

The actor forced a smile on his lips. He slapped his cheeks, and decided it was best to change his clothes. He walked over to the closet and pulled it open, expression sudden shifting into deadpan as he realized the clothing on set.

 _Why are all my outfits the same as the ones I wore yesterday?_

Akio let out a dry snicker, then shrugging the thought off and grabbing ahold of the nearest outfit. He made his way over to the restroom, taking off his pajamas and taking a shower. It took minutes for the man to finish, changing into his attire and having brushed his teeth.

He stared at the mirror, eyeing his reflection.

He looked the same as always. The makeup he would always wear to hide his so-called 'blemishes' were gone, and honestly Akio was glad. He loved seeing his natural look, and he loved seeing himself looking as alike to the others. To be considered a 'higher being' simply because of his title as an actor was both a blessing and a curse. And despite the fortune that the actor definitely enjoyed, Akio preferred living in a relaxing environment.

 _I wonder if Ayako feels the same... Hm..._

 _Then again, I could say that to any Ultimate. We're all being watched by the public, Ultimate Actor or not._

A thought suddenly ran through Akio's head.

 _Hm, I actually haven't checked the library much. I wonder if there are any books detailing Ultimates or something... Maybe even case files about missing Ultimates._ The actor then frowned. _I could ask Watari actually. He's a detective, but I doubt he'll actually tell me something._

Akio let out a sigh. His eyes directed to the MonoPad.

A moment passed.

 _Well, I doubt he's actually going to be participating in our group works. It's worth a shot._

Akio grabbed ahold of the device, now booting it on. He was brought back to the chatroom, and his finger tapped to the 'New Conversation' button. There came a list of the Ultimates he was with, as well as Monokuma. The actor clicked onto the detective's profile, now brought to an empty chatroom.

He held his breath, and began typing.

 **[Chatroom:** **(Akio/Watari)**

 **Akio: Watari, are you going to be helping us? (06:17 AM)** **]**

Akio waited silently, and within minutes did a message appear.

 **[Watari: You're awake at this hour? Shocking. (06:19 AM)**

 **Akio: Yeah. And can you please answer my question? (06:20 AM)**

 **Watari: Hm, and why should I tell you? (06:20 AM)** **]**

The actor frowned. He knew it.

 **[Akio: Y'know you'll only make people suspect you if you continue to act like that. (06:21 AM)**

 **Watari: And why should I care? (06:22 AM)**

 **Watari: We're not here to play friends, Aki. (06:22 AM)**

 **Akio: It's not like you're planning to play the killing game, right? (06:24 AM)**

 **Watari: Am I that untrustworthy? I just have my own plans. (06:25 AM)**

 **Akio: That's not reliable to a T. (06:25 AM)**

 **Watari: Well, just have fun without me, alright? Bye~! (06:27 AM)**

 **Akio: Hey! (06:28 AM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

Akio couldn't help but let out an audible groan, shaking his head. He knew that the detective wouldn't answer him, but he didn't expect the man to be so stubborn. The actor was willing to cooperate with Watari as long as the man wasn't an asshole, and so far- he was one.

 _Well!_ Akio slapped his cheeks, having shoved his MonoPad into his pockets. _Guess I'll head out and see if the others are awake. I can't really be sure since it's around six o'clock now though..._

Akio then heard the grumbling of the stomach. _Yeah, I'm hungry too._

With that single thought in mind, Akio left his room with his keycard, the door clicking locked behind him. The hallways were bright, being lit with the lights hanging above the ceiling. It would be a relaxing and almost tranquil sort of look if it weren't for the fact that he knew- they were being held captive by a bear. Akio frowned, then walking down to where the exit was.

The man made his way over to the cafeteria, opening the doors to find a few people inside. Though not everybody were present inside of the room, there was just enough people to make Akio think that he could enjoy himself in some company.

"Hello!"

Akio smiled brightly as he looked to the few people in the room- Wakana, Blanchard, and Hitomu.

Hitomu turned happily towards Akio, Reiji around his shoulders and Kazue on his head. It was quite a cute, amusing sight- at least to Akio, that is. Seeing the cats nuzzle against the catkeeper was simply amusing. "Hello, Akio. You're up early as well, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Akio chuckled, scratching his head. "Is everyone else awake?"

Hitomu shook his head. "No. I looked around the school earlier. Nobody was around other than Blanchard and Wakana here."

The actor nodded. He looked over to Blanchard and Wakana. "How are you two?"

Wakana smiled widely. She clapped her hands together and pounded on an empty space, gesturing the brunette to sit. "I'm fine. It's nice to see you, Blaise. Did you have a good sleep?"

Akio smiled back, taking a seat next to the florist. Ruffling the woman's hair, he nodded. "I did." His eyes looked over to Blanchard. "And you? Did you and... uh, Viorel have a nice sleep?"

Blanchard bowed his head down as a formal greeting, then beginning to speak through his teeth. "Thank you for asking, Master Akio... Hm, or does he prefer Blaise instead?"

The switch of the eyepatch. "You think I know? Just ask him."

Blachard switched back the eyepatch, clearing his throat. "Well, I digress. Viorel and I had quite the pleasant sleep despite our current situation. It is a shame that a tyrant is controlling us."

"I'm sure we'll find a way to stop him." Akio threw on a confident smirk. "As long as we all work together, we'd be able to stop Monokuma and get out of here. I don't believe that anyone would kill as well, after all."

Hitomu hummed in response, having heard the conversation from the back of the room. "Of course. I do not believe it is in our nature to simply kill out of pleasure."

"Yeah, I agree!" Wakana nodded her head rapidly, a determined look on her face. Her orange hair was bobbing up and down to her movements. "W-we need to stop Monokuma, no matter what!"

"Well said, madame." Viorel chuckled, the eyepatch having been switched. The butler then turned to the catkeeper, eye scanning him from top to bottom. "Now, Master Hitomu, I believe that we should prepare the meals now."

Hitomu's eyes widened, nodding. "Ah, right."

Akio watched as the duo headed straight into the kitchen. The actor could only wonder what the duo would be making, smiling at the plentiful of food combinations with his stomach grumbling. His smile widened. It would be delicious, and his stomach continued to grumble until he heard a voice escape the room.

"So, uh, Blaise..."

The actor looked to the side, finding Wakana eyeing him shyly. She was fiddling her fingers, eyes averted to the ground. _Heh._ The brunette couldn't help but worry for the woman. "What's up?" He asked, sounding as casual as possible. He did not want to fluster the florist, after all.

"I'm just worried, that's all..." The florist continued to fidget about. "I-I've never been in this sort of situation before... Being kidnapped and all..."

 _So she put up a brave front earlier, hm. Guess she seems trustful of me if she's showing me this side of her so easily... maybe a bit too trustful._ Akio sighed inwardly to himself, ruffling the woman's hair in an affectionate gesture. It was an attempt to comfort the small woman. "Don't worry about it. We'll definitely get out of here, safe and healthy. Just don't worry about it."

"I mean..." The florist frowned. "Hitomu and the others all seem like really nice people, but what if Monokuma throws us into a situation where we can't do anything but kill? H-he has complete control over us."

"Not complete control. And I can assure you that no one will harm you." Akio then threw on a kind smile, winking at the woman. "If it comes down to it, I'll protect you. I'll be your knight in shining armor."

 _Ack, how chessy of a line._

Akio stared at the woman.

 _Did it work though?_

Wakana blushed, then quickly averting her gaze. Her face was completely red. "I-I-I mean..." She was failing to speak, her lips quivering and her teeth clattering. "Y-yes... A-a-alright!"

 _Worked wonderously. What a relief._

Akio inwardly sighed to himself. As long as the woman was not worried or stressed out, then the brunette knew she would be fine. "There we go!" He clapped his hands together and placed them to his hips. "A smile. Just remember that we have a chance to stop Monokuma, and we're going to take it, alright? Don't worry about anything, Wakana."

Wakana blushed for a second time, but nodded. She was jubliant. "Alright!"

Akio smiled back. The woman's energy was beginning to rub off on him. He couldn't help but feel like his day would be fine.

Well, it would, but the sound of the school bell rang. It rang and rang, until static. A voice was heard. A high-pitched voice.

"Ahem! Bastards, it is 7 AM! It's morning, so get your asses off and do shit!"

Static, and then nothing.

That was Monokuma's voice. That voice instantly ruined Akio's day.

"Well, it did say that 7 AM was daytime," Wakana muttered under her breath, trying to explain the bear's sudden announcement.

"True." The brunette acknowledged the florist's words with a nod. "But I don't see the point in screaming for us to be awake. It's not like we have a time limit to kill someone, right?"

Wakana slowly nodded her head. "Mhm..."

"Well, it doesn't matter. That would certainly cause everyone to wake up and come here. We don't have to wake them up ourselves." Akio smiled brightly, then falling to a mumble. "Unless they fall back asleep, that is..."

The florist giggled. "Let's hope they won't."

Akio heard the sound of the door opening. He looked over to find Hitomu walking out of the kitchen, eyeing the duo with his usual smile. His cats were happily moving about on the ground. "You won't mind if Blanchard and I made omelettes, right?"

"Sounds delicious." Wakana's smile brightened instantly. "I love omelettes! My mom always made them for me."

The catkeeper chuckled in return. "That's lovely. Then Blanchard and I will cook them right now."

The kitchen door closed, and the main doors opened.

"Hello!"

Akio saw Ayako who was waving happily to him and Wakana.

Wakana waved back, a friendly expression on her face. "Hey, Ayako! How's your day so far?"

"I mean... I just woke up?" The lolita fashion model pouted, raising a brow. Her cutesy expression definitely caused her to look much more adorable than your typical awaken teen. She looked as beautiful as a doll for having just woken up. "But I'm fine! How are you two?"

"We're good," Akio answered, chuckling. "Thanks."

And just like that, one by one, slowly, the others began to come inside. Everyone was reporting into the cafeteria, slowly and orderly.

Well, everyone, that is, except for Watari and a few others- specifically, Masako and Keishi.

"Nice to meet you all," Kyatchi said as he walked through the doors, yawning. He groggily took a seat down next to Misaki. "Is breakfast ready, or did I come right after someone's guts were blown out?"

"Guts? If I saw them, I would've dissected them by now." The surgeon smiled widely. She did not comprehand those looks of shock from the others.

"Hitomu and Blanchard are cooking us omelettes." Wakana looked eager as she spoke to the group.

"Really? Shouldn't you tell Watari and the others then?" Tomoyo worriedly eyed the group. She was sitting inbetween Shinjimae and Ayako. "I mean... They cooked food for us, didn't they? It'd be rude if Watari and the others weren't here to thank them personally."

"True, but I suppose they can't trust us. I mean, with this entire concept of a killing game and all that..." Kiyoko bit into her lips. She was definitely worried for the three Ultimates.

"Can we even afford to trust Watari?" Ayako was eyeing everyone with a nervous look. "H-he doesn't seem to be against Monokuma, right?"

"Don't worry about him." Akio frowned. "He won't do anything to us, I'm sure of it."

The lolita fashion model was worried, but nodded nonetheless. She had to believe him.

"S-s-so, w-what're we going to d-do about Monokuma?" Shinjimae was fidgeting about, stroking Saki who was wagging her tail. "W-w-we need to stop this killing game after all, r-right?"

"We need to know our enemy first."

Akio looked back, finding Hitomu and Blanchard opening the kitchen door. They were rolling down a crate full of omelette dishes, walking over to the cafeteria table. The sweet aroma was escaping the room, everyone taking the time to sniff the air. A delicious smell. The two Ultimates definitely made their day.

"Huh, food." Yume eyed the food with indifference.

Blanchard bowed his head down. "I hope these will be enough to fill your stomaches."

"Of course!" Ayako seemed genuinely pleased, taking a plate from the crate. She took a big whiff of the food, humming her delight. "It smells delicious!"

"So." Kiyoko had her arms crossed. "What do you suggest we do to 'know' our enemy, Hitomu?"

The catkeeper eyed the recreation worker for a moment, then smiling. He handed out the omelettes alongside Blanchard before taking a seat. With himself seated next to Kiyoko, he began to speak, hands cupped together.

"Like I said beforehand, I believe that in order for us to have a probable chance of escaping, we need to know our surroundings first. We need to know not only our surroundings, but Monokuma and us as well. We need to know each other's strength and weaknesses, and Monokuma's most importantly. We need to all cooperate together, and if we don't, we won't be able to escape from here."

Akio frowned. "But what about Watari and the others?"

Hitomu nodded, acknowledging the actor's concern. "We need to talk to him and the others. I don't think Watari will follow Monokuma, and I believe that if we comfort the other two they will be fine."

"S-so..." Shinjimae bit into his piece of omelette. It was delicious in his mouth. Fluffy and soft. "H-how are we going to handle Monokuma exactly?"

The florist raised her hand, eagerly participating in the conversation. "I thought we could just ask him questions. He'll answer us, right? We just need to be discreet enough, right? I mean, hopefully..."

"I don't think he'll answer us so openly," Kiyoko answered, frowning. She had her arms crossed. "If we ask him any questions, we need to take his answers with a grain of salt. We don't exactly know what exactly is he nor who is controlling him."

"He considers himself a real bear..." Yume chuckled at the thought. "Obviously, he isn't."

"Bears can't talk!" Ayako pouted, then eyed Shinjimae and Saki. "Uh..."

"I-it's fine..." Shinjimae nodded slowly, Saki barking happily in response. "I-it's obvious that M-Monokuma isn't even a real b-bear..."

The actor nodded. "Exactly. I think that we should watch him in person. We need to observe his actions, etc. However... Where exactly is he? Is he watching us from somewhere?"

"That... we don't know, huh?" Hitomu pursed his lips, humming to himself. He was deep in thought, not having once touched his food. "We have to lure him out then."

"Is he a rat or something?" Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "It's not like he's just going to come out of nowhere and wipe our smelly asses."

Misaki groaned. "Ew, that's a disgusting thought."

"You think?" The juggler was amused at the surgeon's reaction. "Interesting."

"Luring Monokuma out would be our best option." Blanchard eyed the group blankly. "Viorel believes so too. Right?"

The switch of an eyepatch. As expected of the butler, he began to move his mouth and speak much more bluntly. "Why're you asking me, Blanchard?"

Kiyoko raised a brow, eyeing the butler. She did not seem pleased at all. "Really?"

Tomoyo looked at Hitomu worriedly. "Well, so how do we lure Monokuma out?"

"We just need to stir up some trouble." Akio grinned at the group. "If we cause trouble, then Monokuma will appear and tell us off. We just need to get his attention, make him know that he needs to be close to us."

"Didn't expect you to offer such a thing." Wakana was shocked, the omelette in her mouth almost falling to the ground. "It's pretty risky to run on his bad side though, right?"

"It is," Hitomu began, nodding as his cats continued to walk around him, "however, I believe that risks are needed in this case. We won't be able to escape from here unless we take some risks. I also believe that Blaise's suggestion is the most reasonable and likely one."

Shinjimae hesitated, but slowly nodded with his eyes averted to the ground. "I-I guess."

"So..." The screenwriter pursed her lips. "We're going to confront Monokuma?"

The catkeeper nodded. "That is quite the plan. I believe that if we cause trouble, we'd lure Monokuma out. We need to tread carefully though."

"Agreed." Kiyoko nodded her head. "We do not want to risk getting hurt."

Blanchard eyed the group, picking up his food with his spoon. "How about Master Keishi and the others though? Do we inform them of this plan yet?"

"I don't think Watari will be interested, honestly." Akio crossed his arms. A frown was apparent on his lips. "And I do think it's wise for us to inform Masako and Keishi of this idea. We do not want to leave those two out, considering they seem really concerned about this entire killing game mess."

"I mean..." Wakana was still worried about Watari. Akio could tell that the florist was still worried nonetheless. "Sure..."

"Alright!" Ayako clapped her hands together. "I'm sure we could do this everyone! Let's stop Monokuma and get away from here!"

Shinjimae let out a small smile. Saki was barking happily in return.

"We can do this." Akio threw out a determined smile. This unity would not die, he was sure of it. "We will get out of here."

With that positive ending, the group finished their food. Everyone began to speak more and more openly, and soon that dreadful thought of a 'killing game' was replaced with a childish desire to make small talk. People began to ask one another on their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, talents, etc. It was mere high schoolers speaking to high schoolers, and there was nothing sinister behind it.

Nothing sinister, and Akio deeply hoped that this sense of togetherness and hope would not disappear. He knew that stopping Monokuma would have to be done first. Escaping this entire ordeal of a killing game would have to be done first before friendships were maintained.

Akio desired this sense of belongingness. He had to stop Monokuma and escape with his friends. He just had to.

 _So we need to inform Keishi and Masako of this..._ Akio eyed the MonoPad inside of his jacket. He knew that Hitomu or the others would message the duo in the group conversation. He knew that doing such a thing would be accomplished fairly easily.

The actor took his last bite, chewing the food down his throat. Delicious.

Since Akio had finished his food, he helped Hitomu and Blanchard take the dishes back into the kitchen. Everyone else had left. Alone with the two men, he helped set down the dishes and washed them. He washed the dishes and dried them, putting them into their respective places. Fortunately, it didn't take long, only about thirty minutes passing by before the deed was done. Finished and content with his work, Akio waved to the duo and left the area.

 _Hm, what should I do?_ Akio thought to himself, walking through the hallways. He was walking around in an endless cycle. _I could just rest and wait until we begin to initiate our plan, but... Hm, seems like a waste._

Akio stopped. _I mean... I could go talk to some people. It'd be good to know them better, considering that we're comrades here._ The actor let out a smile. _Actually, yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I'll do just that._

With that idea in mind, Akio began his way to search for his destined person. He walked aimlessly around the school until he spotted someone. He honestly didn't care who he ended up with, as long as he could find himself enjoying their company.

Well, his search was ended abruptly as he found himself staring at his supposed 'destined' one.

"Oops!"

"O-oh... Sorry."

Akio blinked for a moment. He found himself almost bumping into Keishi, the Ultimate Survivor eyeing him with a timid look.

"Ah! S-sorry about that." The actor let out a smile, trying to lessen the tension in the air. Honestly, Akio didn't like how frightened and jumpy the man was. He wished the man placed his trust more in him. "Are you alright, Keishi?"

Keishi nodded, cupping his hands. He looked to the left, and then to the right. "Excuse me..."

Before the survivor could leave, Akio quickly stood in front of his way. "Sorry, but I just wanted to ask you a question." The actor threw out another kind smile, an attempt to comfort the man.

Keishi eyed him for a moment, then averting his gaze. "Go ahead."

The actor chuckled. "Alright! Well, did Hitomu or the others talk to you about the plan yet?"

The survivor shook his head, leading to Akio continuing. "Well, we're planning that in order for us to escape, we must first know our enemy. We're planning to get to know Monokuma better personally, and to do that we're going to be planning to stir up some trouble... Y'know, just to get his attention?"

Keishi's eyes widened slightly at the man's words. Worry almost escaped from his face, but it was quickly hidden as he spoke. "Are you sure he won't hurt you all?"

"I think we'll be fine." The brunette grinned. "You want to join us?"

The survivor quickly shook his head, an almost desperate look on his face. "I-I'd only give you trouble..."

"Trouble?" Akio burrowed his brows. He was worried for the poor man. Seeing how Keishi would almost cower in the man's presence was almost pitiable. Akio couldn't help but worry about the man's health. "Hey, Keishi, wanna hang out for a bit?"

"Huh?" That caught the survivor off-guard. The light-haired man was stunned. "Um... Why?"

"Obviously, I want to get to know you better." The actor snickered. He wanted to let off a friendly vibe. He wanted to make Keishi comfortable. "You look like such a nice person, and we don't really know each other well. I think it's good if we hung out, right?"

"But I'm..." Keishi bit into his lips. He was gripping to the sleeve of his shirt with his painted-like hand. "I'm just... I'm just bad luck."

 _Because of your talent?_ Akio questioned the man's words, but he didn't want to come off as rude. Instead, he let out a friendly smile and shook his head. "You're not. Let's just hang out for a bit, alright?"

"... Uh... Do whatever you want, I guess..." The man was obviously distraught by what Akio had said, but he didn't speak anymore than that.

 _I would've expected him to shoo me away, but he isn't. Maybe he cares for my well-being...? Maybe he thinks that he'll bring me trouble or something?_ _Nonetheless, I have the choice of hanging out with him or not. He's not flatout rejecting me!_

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Keishi?**

 _ **Yeah, let's do it!**_ / No, not really.

* * *

Akio grinned. Despite how nervous or hesitant the survivor seemed to be, the actor was more than willing to hang out with him. He didn't want to reject Keishi right after he asked him, after all. Besides, he was extremely curious of the man.

Keishi, noticing the interest and determination in Akio's eyes, said nothing. All he could do was sigh inwardly to himself and realize that the actor was not about to budge anytime soon.

 **Akio:** So Keishi, what do you like to do for fun?

 **Keishi:**... For fun? Why're you asking, um... Akio... Blaise?

 **Akio:** I don't mind what you call me. Most people prefer to call me Blaise though, so if you're comfortable, Blaise is fine!

 **Akio:** Anyways, to answer your question, I'm asking because I'm interested! I'm sure you have a few interests, right?

 **Keishi:** R-right... Well, for starters, I guess you could say that I like reading.

 **Akio:** Ah, reading! Most people nowadays tend to prefer watching movies than read. People prefer to live more fast-paced than not, y'know?

 **Keishi:** I guess... Do you like reading too then, er, Blaise?

 **Akio:** Hah, well, not as much as watching movies though. I do like reading books which movies have been based off from. I like to know the original work than that of a rendition, even if I acted in that particular rendition, haha.

 **Keishi:** I see.

 **Akio:** But enough about me, how about you? What else do you like to do other than read?

 **Keishi:** Um... I guess you could say that I like spending time with my cat.

 **Akio:** Oh? So you have a pet cat, Keishi?

 **Keishi:** Yeah. She's home though. Her name is Mimi.

 **Akio:** Aw, what a cute name! I'm guessing you're fond of cats then!

 **Keishi:** I guess... Mimi is a black therapy cat though. She's been with me ever since I was twelve.

 **Akio:** Oh, a therapy cat huh? I'm guessing you've been through a lot then.

 **Keishi:** Explains a lot, huh? Mimi helps me relax whenever I need it. She truly helped me through hard times.

 **Akio:** I can tell, seeing how happy you look speaking about her. She's not here though, what a shame. Maybe Kazue and Reiji would've been friends with her.

 **Keishi:** I'm glad she isn't here with me. I do not want to put her through this sort of situation.

 **Akio:** Ah... Right.

 **Akio:** _Keishi does have a point, but still... If Mimi was here, I wonder if Keishi would've been more calm right now? And hearing that Mimi is a therapy cat is worrying... What happened to Keishi in his childhood? I don't want to pry, but... I'm curious. Maybe I'll ask him next time._

 **Keishi:** Um... Thank you for talking to me. I enjoyed it.

 **Akio:** O-oh, of course! It was nice speaking to you too, Keishi.

Keishi nodded his head, Akio waving before watching the survivor leave. The actor let out a sigh, just trying to process what he had just learned. _Hm..._

* * *

 **Keishi's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note: Keishi has a few hobbies that he seems to enjoy. He enjoys reading for one, and particularly of interest he enjoys being with his cat Mimi. Mimi is a black therapy cat who has been with Keishi ever since he was twelve.**

* * *

Akio grinned to himself as he noticed the note on his MonoPad. He honestly didn't expect for the device to detail the Ultimate Survivor so quickly and so accurately, but it was a good way for Akio to remember things. It also does worry him though. He honestly couldn't help but worry how Monokuma was able to track down such information so easily, and give it out so easily to Akio.

 _Well, I can worry about that later. I'm just glad that I was able to know Keishi a bit more better than before._

The actor concluded that he did a job well done. Mentally petting himself in the back, he decided that he had a bit more energy to spare. He could talk to someone else. He had not only the time, but the energy to do such.

And with that thought in mind, Akio continued his journey in search of another 'destined' one.

And likewise, in minutes, he found that supposed 'destined' one.

"Oh, Hitomu!" The actor smiled within seconds. Seeing the smile on the catkeeper made him perky, and seeing the cats roam around him was the cherry on top. "How are you doing so far?"

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking." The man nodded his head. Kazue and Reiji were happily roaming around his body. "I was taking a stroll around the school. I wanted to make sure I know my surroundings."

"Oh, that makes sense." Akio was stunned. He didn't expect for the man to be so diligent in his work. "Everyone seems to be doing fine, right? So far?"

Hitomu chuckled. "They all seem fine. Wakana is talking to Kiyoko and the other ladies. I'm not sure where Watari is, but I am certain he is spending time in his room or in the library. He is most likely planning to stop Monokuma in his own way. What're you doing at the moment, Blaise?"

"I'm just trying to get along with everyone," Akio twirled around in a childish manner, then stopping to wink at the catkeeper, "and you're my next victim, Hitomu."

The catkeeper couldn't help but let out a snicker, amused by the actor's gesture. "Alright then. I do not mind speaking to you."

"Great!"

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Hitomu?**

 _ **Yes, please do it baby!**_ / Nah, it's cool.

* * *

Happy as can be, Akio immediately went into conversation with Hitomu. The duo had decided that they should take a stroll around the school while speaking.

 **Akio:** So, Hitomu, you have any hobbies other than caring for your cats?

 **Hitomu:** Kazue and Reiji aren't the only cats I have, to be brief.

 **Akio:** You have more? Wow, guess they don't call you the catkeeper for nothing.

 **Hitomu:** I suppose so. Well, for other hobbies, I suppose I could say cooking and taking walks.

 **Akio:** I-I think those two hobbies are obvious! We're taking a walk right now, and you cooked us breakfast earlier!

 **Hitomu:** But those are hobbies, am I wrong?

 **Akio:** Y-yeah, but, do you have any other hobbies than those two? Y'know, like reading or playing sports or something?

 **Hitomu:** Reading does tickle my fancy... I suppose stargazing would count then.

 **Akio:** Oh, you like stargazing?

 **Hitomu:** Just being out in nature, seeing nothing but the night sky... I believe that is a beautiful sight in itself.

 **Akio:** I mean, I would agree if I weren't usually so busy in the night acting and all that...

 **Hitomu:** I do not mind at all.

 **Akio:** Hopefully not! So, do you possibly have any reason why Kazue and Reiji are here with you? Of all the cats, why are those two stuck with you here?

 **Hitomu:** Hm... Honestly, I do wonder that myself.

 **Hitomu:** I have been wondering about it since Monokuma announced the killing game, but I am drawing a blank.

 **Hitomu:** Well, I can only be grateful that Monokuma spared the time to prepare us pet food. I do not want Kazue and Reiji to be starving, nonetheless Saki as well. I could prepare them the food that we eat, but pets are quite picky, after all.

 **Akio:** Haha, well, that's a relief. Hm, but it is a bit weird Monokuma would trap pets in here with us... He's only interested in us, right?

 **Hitomu:** Yes, so it is worrying...

 **Hitomu:** Ah, well, nonetheless, we will still get out of here. We will put an end to this killing game and leave unscatched.

 **Akio:** Of course! I'm sure of it!

The duo both smiled at each other. They took another stroll around the school before leaving their seperate ways, Hitomu mentioning that he had to attend a gathering with Shinjimae. Akio couldn't help but wonder if it was pet-related.

 _It probably is, actually._

* * *

 **Hitomu's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note: Hitomu has more cats than just Kazue and Reiji. It is worrying to note that there may be a reason behind Monokuma letting him keep his cats around, or, most particularly, those two cats. Hitomu does not have a clear reason for this however.**

* * *

Akio let out a sigh, suddenly finding himself yawning. He supposed that he was tired. To walk around the school in search for the other Ultimates, nonetheless walk in general- it was quite a daunting task. Akio almost wanted to fall asleep for the day.

He eyed the area he was currently in. He was just right outside of the auditorium.

Akio frowned. A certain bear ran through his mind. A certain overseer.

 _I wonder when we will be able to stop him. It'll take a while, but I'm sure we could do it-_

Before Akio was able to finish his thoughts, he was suddenly approached by that very same bear.

"Yo! What's up, Aki!"

"Holy shit!"

Akio found himself jumping in place, Monokuma having appeared out of thin air. Strangely was the bear hanging in thin air, just in front of the man's face. It was all an act however, a wire hung above the overseer. Monokuma was currently staring at him, leering at him. He took a few seconds to stare silently, then grinning as he suddenly flew down to the ground, on his steady two feet. He cut the wire from the air before speaking.

"Ahem! Well, you're here early! Are you a psychic or something? Do you want a motive so badly?"

"Huh?" The actor raised a brow. His heart was still pounding. "Motive? What are you talking about?"

"Whoops! Guess you're not as psychic as I thought!" The bear laughed to himself, jumping about from place to place. His jumps were aimed around Akio though, having cycled around him about twice. "Well, you'll figure it out soon, my dear Aki! I'm gonna be calling everyone over here anyway, so get your ass in the auditorium and sit down!"

"W-what're you even talking about- oof!"

Akio was suddenly kicked straight into the auditorium, the doors having flied opened. His bottom fell first to the ground, then his body. A pitiful sight.

Monokuma didn't care much about Akio's pained state. Instead, he jumped straight across to the stage, a microphone in hand. That microphone was connected to the speakers, his high-pitched voice echoing throughout the entire school.

"Hey bastards! Report to the auditorium right now! It's an emergency!"

And like that, soon, one by one, every single Ultimate appeared.

Everyone had ran into the room with stunned expressions. They were baffled and confused, demanding the bear for an explanation who only shooed them to a seat. Everyone was confused, impatient as Monokuma smirked at their dissent.

"What's happening?" Wakana asked, eyeing Akio who shrugged in response.

Everyone didn't know what was happening. Murmurs escaped the room. Worried, worried murmurs.

"Silence!"

And with that sudden demand, everyone was shocked into silence. Everyone's eyes were staring straight into Monokuma's.

"So, my dear Ultimates, since I am seeing a lack of murderous intent from you all so far- I decided it would be best to give you all a motive to kill!" Monokuma applauded himself without hesitation. He did not bother to look at the looks of disgust and disapproval from the Ultimates. "Woot woot! A motive to kill! How exciting!"

"That's stupid." Kiyoko rolled her eyes, letting out an audible scoff. "You could never motivate us to kill."

"Exactly." Hitomu crossed his arms. "We cannot be pushed to murder."

"Pssh, what do you idiots know?" Monokuma frowned. "Kids are sooo naive these days!"

"Shut up!" Ayako seemed teary-eyed. She despised the bear. "Just let us out! We never did anything to you! Y-you can't make us kill!"

Kyatchi snorted. "I'll die first then, if it suits to your liking. Need to provide this bear some coldhearted murder, am I right?"

The fashion model was stunned. "No way! I-I'm not going to murder you! Or anyone else!"

"That's not fun at all! A willing victim?! Boooring!" Monokuma threw Kyatchi a thumbs-down gesture. His tongue was stuck out. He was definitely annoyed at the juggler's sinister remark. "You kids all suck! I want some unwilling murderers and some unwilling victims, but unfortunately no one's stupid enough to kill for no reason! Sucks ass, I tell you! I actually have to give you all a reason to kill! Ugh, you know people can kill for fun, right?!"

Wakana bit into her lips. Her heart was pounding. "We're not those kinds of people then!"

"Hm, don't you think it would be better to wait it out first?" Kyatchi was staring at the bear, indifferent with his expression. "You only gave us a day to comprehand this childish prank, after all."

"You think? Well, fuck you too, Kya." Monokuma groaned. He seemed silent for a moment, then rolling his eyes. A groan escaped his mouth. "Ugh, nevermind. Let's just get this show on the road, alright? I just wanna get to sleep after this."

Everyone was silent. They were in fear of what's about to come.

"So, my lovely cowards, I am here with a motive! To get you guys a motive to kill, I have compiled you all a motive! Each one, specifically and uniquely, for you all!" Monokuma threw his arms out, an exaggerated motion to detail his excitement. "To make this surprising and all that shit, the motive I'm giving you is specific to each of you! Yes, that is, a motive that threatens your utmost loved ones! Here you go, bastards!"

And just like that, Monokuma suddenly tossed a plentiful of envelopes into the air. Fourteen envelopes which were carved with the names of the Ultimates, falling tragically to their hands. The Ultimates scrambled to take ahold of their specific envelope, and within seconds of catching their's did they ripped the seal out. Chaos broke, and the reactions of the others had broken time.

"This is..." Blanchard seemed shocked. It was hard to tell though. Akio wasn't sure what exactly the butler was feeling at the moment.

The same could be said for Akio. The moment he had grabbed ahold of his envelope and opened it, he was met with a horrifying image. An image that he would've never wanted to imagine.

His face paled, and his hands shook.

To see a picture of his family tied up and beaten- it was certainly a horrifying image. Those looks of fear emitting from his stronghearted parents, the looks of terror and agony escaping from his little sisters- it was a nightmare. He never would've thought to see such emotions.

"What the hell did you do to them?!"

Akio was snapped out of his gaze, suddenly taken aback by Kiyoko's sudden outburst. The woman was glaring at Monokuma, her hands clenched into fists. She was about ready to murder the bear. Bloodthirst was written all over her face.

"Ooh, are you mad already? Don't be!" The bear was laughing. He was mocking the woman. "I haven't done anything worth mentioning yet!"

"W-why are you doing this?" Shinjimae was pale. He was trembling greatly, Saki growling at Monokuma. "W-w-what did we ever do to you?"

Monokuma scoffed. He despised that look of innocence from the animal whisperer. Honestly, he hated anyone who feigned ignornace- as if they hadn't done anything wrong. What a lie.

"Hm, I see." Watari smirked as he eyed his own image. He carefully placed it back into its envelope, then turning to look straight at the overseer. "What a clever idea. Manipulating with the emotions of us to get us to kill- it is quite a cruel idea. How clever, but, tell me- how were you able to capture our families? Why exactly are they involved in this mess and how are you able to escape from the view of the public so easily?"

"Too many questions!" Monokuma shook his head rapidly. "Stop it!"

"Still... This won't get us to kill." Hitomu was disgusted. He was glaring at the bear. "This must be fake. I cannot believe that you'd get away with such a cruel thing so easily. You must be lying to us."

"You think? Hmph, how stupid!" The bear threw out a cackle. He was definitely mocking the situation. He was taking pleasure in the backlash thrown his way. "Well, believe what you want, but your families are at risk here! It's either one of you guys here, or the families of all of your's here! It's either one life, or the lives of all your damn families. You have two days, bastards! Good luck!"

And as quickly as the motive was brought in, the bear had disappeared. No one was to be seen.

"Bastard!" Kiyoko ripped the image to shreds, then tearing the envelope. She was enraged. "Who does he think he is?!"

"Calm down, my dear Kiyo." Watari walked over to the woman, a wry smirk on his lips. He looked over to the entire group. "Well, what's you guys' plan now? Do you still plan to escape while knowing that there is a time limit at our midst? Wouldn't you think that killing someone would take less effort than to risk everyone and their families' lives by trying to escape?"

"And what do you know?" Akio frowned, crossing his arms. "Why are you talking to us like this? You're a victim too."

"Just a fair warning, Aki." The detective winked at the man, then shrugging and turning around. He began to move out of the door, opening it. He then stopped. "I'm just trying to say this- not everything is black and white."

And with that, the detective left.

The juggler hummed to himself, toying with his bandanas. "Huh, what an asshole."

"Maybe we'll know why he's a jerk if we take a look at his DNA!" Misaki clapped her hands to herself, eager.

"U-um! I..." Masako was jumpy, fidgeting about in place. She darted her eyes back and forth, back and forth. She was unsure of what to do before finally shaking her head and running out of the door, her voice escaping the room as she left, "S-sorry! I'll take my leave now!"

"Right... I should go too." Keishi murmured to himself for a while before opening the doors. He took his leave straight after Masako.

And right after Keishi were Shinjimae and Yume, both leaving the room without a second thought or word.

Distrust was continuing to grow, unity continuing to sink.

"I-I..." Wakana was shaking. Her entire body was white. "I-I still believe w-we won't kill..."

 _Wakana..._ Akio bit into his lips. He moved over to ruffle her hair, then rubbing her back. He wanted to make sure that she was fine.

Blanchard turned to the catkeeper who was silent in place. "What should we do now, Master Hitomu? Do we still follow along the plan we set out beforehand?"

"I suppose..." The catkeeper was frowning. "I suppose we need to keep going. We need to observe Monokuma's every movement and keep watch over one another. We need to cooperate in order to escape from here effectively."

"I can't believe we'd fall out this easily." Tomoyo was displeased, eyeing Kiyoko who nodded her head. She sighed, shaking her head. "This is all Monokuma's fault."

"Of course it's his fault." The recreation worker was annoyed. "Everything that happened so far is his fault."

Misaki tilted her head. "So I guess... I guess we can try to regain everyone's trust?"

"I guess that's the plan..." Wakana's voice was frail. She couldn't even comprehand Akio's hand which was ruffling her hair at the moment. She was too saddened and worried to even smile. "I-I hope we'll be able to do that."

Hope was a word that meant doubt, not certitude.

Akio grinned. "I know we'll be able to do it. Wakana, we'll do it, for sure."

And even if Akio worded himself carefully, that didn't mean that he was certain of it. In fact, he almost doubted what he said.

* * *

And that's the end of this part! I honestly did kind of rushed this since I knew that I'll be busy with summer homework soon, so I wanted to get this out first before I forget about it for weeks on end. I finished the second half of this chapter in just one day, so please excuse me for any grammatical mistakes you see and point them out! I'd be happy to change any mistakes seen in order to make this chapter look more decent!

Anyways, let's hope that things won't get worse from here, haha.


	6. Chapter 1 - Part 1, Part B

Yo, and welcome to the next part of this story! I hope you will all enjoy this chapter, and apologies for updating so late!

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Of course! We must feel bad for our beautiful Ayako! Haha, true, one must account for Watari's talent as a detective! Aw, thanks!"

 **Guest:** "Aw, thanks! I'm glad you were waiting for the last chapter to be updated, and I hope you will enjoy this one! I wonder why forest green is such a common color being shown in this story so far? Glad you noticed that about Akio! Watari does seem to be the obvious rival, and I hope to implement more conflict nonetheless~ Yes, your thoughts are interesting, and the group dynamics will eventually change and develop throughout time. Nice to note of Wakana, and yes that is true of Monokuma. Keishi and Hitomu differ in terms of their FTEs, but nonetheless we do get to know a bit about them (or their thoughts so far). Of course, one has to notice that Watari and Monokuma both call Akio 'Aki', haha. Well, let's see if this hints at something... Nice speculations! I always love to see what people guess in the future. Haha, observant to notice the lack of screens and cameras around."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Haha, it's fine. You've already told me before that you reviewed, so I assumed that 'Guest' was you~"

 **ToonGuy:** "Of course! I'm glad you liked it! I wouldn't like to be stuck in a killing game, but yes, I'd like to be in a royal-looking room myself! I'm glad you enjoyed the chatroom mechanic and I hope it will prove useful in the future. Glad you seem to enjoy the characters in this story, and I hope they will continue to grow on you! I'm happy you're noticing a lot of things in the last chapter, even if it's subtle. Haha, yes, I've thrown out a motive this early to nobody's liking but myself~ Aw, thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed that chapter, and hope you will enjoy this one!"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Well, I guess you could say she's obsessed with getting some good ol' DNA. Thank you! I'm glad you enjoy Akio and Wakana's interactions! I'm happy you enjoyed Hitomu's FTE! Haha, well, I tend to like the classic motives~"

 **Abitat Eco:** "Aw, thanks! It did! Yes, totally a shocking motive thrown out to both the audience and the Ultimates themselves, haha! Most people seem to enjoy Watari's presence, so that's nice to hear! Of course, your reasoning makes sense! Glad you enjoyed most of the characters haha! Oh, I'm happy I'm writing Shinji well to your liking, nonetheless Saki to an extent as well! Hope you'll enjoy this chapter~"

 **ThePersonOfNothing:** "Yay! I'm glad I portrayed Keishi well in the FTE! Haha, everyone is."

 **Meta King:** "Oh my gosh, haha, well. Yes, I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope I will able to improve as the story goes on! Of course. Everyone will get their own time to shine in due time- Well, that is, if they don't die first haha. I'm glad I'm portraying Yume well, though I hope to implement her more into the story haha."

 **liammarklh88:** "Aw, thanks! I'm glad you enjoy my stories. Yes, of course, the messaging thing will be something I will implement in class trials, so get ready for that~ ;) I'm glad I'm portraying Kyatchi well to your liking. I'm not surprised you would like Watari considering Will's personality haha. Same with me, I'm sure I'll grow to love the characters in this story too! Glad you enjoyed Keishi and Hitomu's FTEs, and I hope you will enjoy the next batch here! Haha, I always enjoyed that motive in any Danganronpa thing I see, so... Yeah! Lol, same to you!"

 **PainX65:** "O-omg, how kinky *blushies*."

* * *

Akio had fallen into sleep without knowing it.

Whether it had been because of how worried he was over the motive or whether it was from a different source, he didn't know. He had simply fallen into sleep, and now he had awoken to hit the bright light.

It had already been morning by the time he had woken up, and honestly the actor did not even notice that people have been messaging iright and left inside the group chat. Simply hearing that 'ding!' sound from the MonoPad made him jump, after all. Akio frowned for a moment. He was still, listening. He then heard a few more messages being sent. The actor quickly got off his bed and grabbed ahold of his device, now eyeing the chatroom.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top...)**

 **Hitomu: We are going to disucss more today as well, correct? (05:48 AM)**

 **Kiyoko: Yes, I think it is good if we continue to discuss things each day. At least during meals. (05:50 AM)**

 **Yume: So it's permanent that we attend? (05:51 AM)**

 **Hitomu: I would like that to be the case, but I know some people might not come. (05:52 AM)**

 **Kiyoko: Like Watari. (05:52 AM)**

 **Ayako: We could convince him somehow! (05:53 AM)**

 **Blanchard: It is a must. (05:53 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: I don't think someone of his status would enjoy this naive sense of 'friendship' and 'happiness'. (05:54 AM)**

 **Ayako: Don't be mean! (05:54 AM)**

 **Blanchard: He does have a point, however if this meeting is mandatory it is a must that Sir Watari must be present, right? (05:56 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: You know all of us aren't exactly stuckups to rules, right? (05:57 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Sorry, I-I woke up later than you guys... (06:45 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: Me too! Sorry. (06:46 AM)**

 **Hitomu: It's fine. (06:48 AM)**

 **Wakana: Just woke up too! (06:51 AM)**

 **Kiyoko: I guess most of us are awake around near seven then, huh. (06:52 AM)**

 **Yume: Guess so. (06:52 AM)]**

Akio felt guilty for not being able to respond to the group so quickly, but nonetheless he sent a message anyways.

 **[Akio: Sorry. I just woke up now. (07:10 AM)**

 **Wakana: Still near seven haha! (07:11 AM)]**

Akio couldn't help but chuckle, replying.

 **[Akio: I guess so. (07:12 AM)**

 **Akio: Anyways, so we are going to disucss things further today, right? (07:12 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Yes. Please report to the cafeteria if you all haven't already. I'm preparing food with Blanchard and Kiyoko. (07:14 AM)**

 **Akio: Okay. (07:14 AM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

Akio let out a yawn, closing the MonoPad. He observed the room for a moment, then moving over to the bathroom to clean his face. Washing his face with water, Akio took a look at himself for a moment. He didn't look tired or stressed out at all. He looked the same as ever, and so Akio changed clothes, took his device, stuffed it into his pockets, and headed outside the dormitories.

 _I wonder if Watari will be there._

Akio frowned. He honestly doubted it. The actor continued his way into the cafeteria as another thought ran through his forehead.

 _I wonder if everyone else will be there though._

Akio stood in front of the door. He eyed for a short moment, then shaking his head and opening the door. He headed inside where he found the others- well, most of the others. A few people were missing, and Akio could tell who they were.

As mentioned earlier, Hitomu, Blanchard, and Kiyoko were fixing up breakfast. Watari was obviously not in sight. The others whom Akio could pin down as missing would be Masako and Keishi.

"Where are they?" Akio found himself asking aloud.

"Huh?" Wakana blinked a couple of times before eyeing the area. She instantly realized whom the man was talking about. "O-oh! They should be here, hopefully..."

"They should hopefully be here." Tomoyo frowned. "I would understand if Watari were to not come unfortunately, but it's worrying if Keishi and Masako do not come. Hitomu wanted to make this mandatory, afer all."

Kyatchi shrugged, letting out a yawn. "We're not here to adhere to rules like slaves, are we?"

Tomoyo eyed the man strangely. "No, but, still..."

Kyatchi snorted. A wry smirk escaped his lips as he eyed Ayako who was silently fiddling with her fingers. With her attention focused on herself, the juggler took this oppurtunity to suddenly grab ahold of her shoulders. "Boo!"

"Aaah!" Ayako shrieked, jumping up and stumbling to the ground. A slimy sensation touched her shoulders. She rubbed her bottom before looking up, finding Kyatchi who was holding slime in his hands. She glared at the man. "You meanie!"

"You're fun to tease." Kyatchi mused, shrugging. "Though you do get too frightened easily."

"W-why do you even care about that?!" Ayako pouted. "That's just so mean!"

Kyatchi was about to retort further, but he felt Tomoyo gripping on his shoulder. The woman was eyeing him. "Let's not cause trouble."

Kyatchi snorted and was silent, leaving Ayako to sigh and smile at Tomoyo. "Thank you! You're the best, Tomoyo! I should just call you Yo-Yo!"

"Cute name!" Wakana commented, smiling at the name. She eyed Tomoyo whose eyes widened and cheeks blushed pink. The florist couldn't help but chuckle at the woman's flustered state. "It's really cute!"

Tomoyo looked away from the florist, blushing.

Akio couldn't help but eye the scene with a smile. Still, he was worried nonetheless about Masako and Keishi. He sighed, taking a seat down next to Shinjimae. The animal whisperer was petting Saki, a small smile on his face.

"H-hello, Blaise." Shinjimae seemed to have noticed the actor. There was a shy smile on his face. "I-it's nice to see you today."

Akio smiled back brightly. "Nice to see you too, Shinji! And you too Saki."

Shinjimae chuckled as he noticed Saki barking in delight. The young man seemed content with Akio's introduction. "I-I haven't seen Masako or Keishi here e-either, i-if you were wondering. I-I think they're worried about the erm... the motive."

"Yeah, that makes sense." Akio frowned. He couldn't help but grumble at the thought. Such a horrid motive, for sure. "I'm sure they'll open to us soon enough. I suppose we need to let them think to themselves for a while."

"Y-you think Watari will be a concern?" The man was eyeing the actor.

"We better be cautious of him." The brunette nodded. "I don't think he will do anything to us though, at least anytime soon. It is still better if we're cautious around him. He might be helping Monokuma, after all."

Ayako jumped into the conversation, eyes widening. "Really? You think so?"

"I would hate to think that." Tomoyo frowned at the idea, crossing her arms. She pursed her lips. "Though you do have a point."

"Maybe if we got ahold of Watari's DNA, then we'd know if he was a bad guy or not." Misaki smiled innocently at the group.

Wakana tilted her head. She was obviously contemplating that idea. "I-I don't think so...?"

Misaki turned to look at the florist. "Ooh! So you're thinking about it too huh!"

Wakana's eyes widened. "Um... N-not really."

Akio sighed as he eyed the surgeon. She did look excited to catch ahold of Watari's DNA, but he knew best to not ask. He instead looked over to where the kitchen door opened, revealing Kiyoko and the others, meals and drinks in a trolley. The food prepared on stage looked marvelous, possibly made possible with Blanchard helping the duo. There were not only omelettes, but crepes, eggs, and miso soup as well as orange juice, milk, or water. Such an array was a sight to see, even to someone like Akio.

"Wow." That was all that escaped his mouth.

"Please, eat to your liking." Blanchard bowed his head down as the trolley was rolled to the students. He switched the eye patch, the man now standing up and speaking. It was Viorel. "Eat till your stomachs can't handle it anymore."

Hitomu smiled as his cats roamed around him. "It is so much better with Blanchard cooking. He's a professional at this."

The eye patch was switched again, a smile appearing from the butler's mouth. "I humbly accept your compliment. I am merely doing what a butler is supposed to do."

The cat keeper let out a chuckle. "Of course."

Blanchard nodded as he handed the Ultimates their meals, then moving over to take a seat down. Once everyone had their meals they began to eat, Akio realizing how the meals cooked were made to perfection. He stomach grumbled with delight as he bit into the food. Sure, it wasn't the best made in comparison to an Ultimate Chef or whatnot, but at the meantime, especially in such a grave situation- it was a masterpiece.

He never actually thought about the food much until now. He could only assumed he was feeling like the food was the best in the world because of how the motive was stressing him out. Though the idea of a killing game was stressful enough, a motive to initiate the killing honestly made his heart clench. Good food was what was needed at the moment, and Akio supposed everyone else must've been thinking the same thing.

"This is soooo good!" It seemed like Wakana had thought of the same thing, her eyes sparkling with delight.

Kiyoko smiled subtly as she bit into her piece of strawberry-filled crepe. "It is, huh."

Hitomu smiled as he eyed his cats who were eating their cat food, then looking to Saki who herself was eating her own food. It was then did he eye the group after gulping down a piece of omelette. "Alright, so we need to discuss about the motive Monokuma had given us."

"R-right." Ayako had almost forgot about it. She had been infatuated with the food in front of her. "B-but it's obvious that Monokuma's lying, right?"

"I would hope so," Blanchard mused, staring blankly at his food. "What do you think, Viorel?"

The eye patch was switched, a disgusted scowl escaping the butler's mouth. "Hopefully. It better be."

Akio smiled a bit, but frowned immediately afterwards. "So, what should we do then? How do we counter this whole mess?"

"Bargain with Monokuma." Kyatchi wryly smiled at Akio. "That will definitely make Monokuma's day."

Yume tilted her head, thinking for a moment. "You sure about that?"

The juggler merely shrugged as Hitomu continued. "I know that there is no doubt that people are worrying over the motive Monokuma gave us. The motive of our loved ones being held hostage- it is an attempt to make us desperate to save them. Honestly, I know I would do anything I can to save my family, but to kill is not the answer. I want you all to know that."

Kiyoko scoffed. "Of course. Killing is not an answer in the slightest bit. It is never a moral answer to anything."

Tomoyo smiled at Kiyoko. "That's right! I agree."

"Unfortunately, not all of us think so positively." Kyatchi yawned, now juggling the spoon and fork he held at hand. He did not bother to eye the people who were giving him worried looks. "What? It's not like I'm going to stab myself."

Akio smiled awkwardly at the scene, then clearing his throat. He did not want to be distracted at the moment. "Well! All I know is that we have to prevent someone from killing! I'm sure that Monokuma's just trying to mess with our brains and that our families are actually safe! There's a reason why there is the FBI and police around the world, right?"

"True." Wakana's face lit up. "So that means my family's safe!"

Ayako clapped her hands together. She happily shoved in a piece of crepe into her mouth. "Yay!"

"I do want to mention that Master Masako and Master Keishi are worried over the motive." Blanchard looked firmly at the group. "It is also to note that Master Watari is working independently and refuses to speak to us."

"Refusing to cooperate will only get him in trouble." Misaki frowned. "Why is he so stubborn?"

"It's not like it is in his favor to be a goody two shoes and help you guys out." Kyatchi frowned. "He's merely doing what he believes is best for him, and he doesn't give a damn about what you guys think."

The surgeon eyed the juggler for a moment. She then tilted her head and let out an 'oh' sound. "I see! You're jealous of him!"

Kyatchi deadpanned at the woman, then forfeited, sighing in defeat. He silently went back to eating his food.

"Uh..." Tomoyo seemed nervous just watching the scene. She looked over to Hitomu and the others. "So what are we going to plan to do?"

Kiyoko huffed. "We already established that we would confront Monokuma upfront, correct? We already established that we should ask him questions and stir trouble."

"Stir up trouble, huh?" Wakana awkwardly eyed the group. "Now that I actually think about it, I really do not think that we should try something like that. We could just ask him questions. We could always ask him instead of luring him out."

Akio's eyes widened. "Ah, I suppose you have a point."

"Y-yes, I would like that much better than what was said before..." Shinjimae nodded slowly.

"Yes. I suppose you are right." Hitomu crossed his arms. "However, if asking questions will not work nicely in our favor, I believe we will have to take drastic measures later. But, yes, I suppose we should tread carefully right now. You guys do seem hesitant in that idea."

"S-sorry," Shinjimae murmured underneath his breath.

 _I seriously don't think that simple questioning and interrogation will work. I do think that we should do something to make Monokuma actually think of us as a threat and to show that we won't listen to his rules..._ Akio frowned. He then eyed Wakana who fiddled with her fingers. Though involuntarily, a small smile crept to his lips. _I guess we could try playing it safe then. Everyone did seem a bit hesitant about it yesterday..._

Tomoyo eyed the scene for a moment, then awkwardly smiling. "Right... I'm just wondering what we are going to do with, uh, Masako and the others. I'm still worried about them nonetheless."

"True." Wakana was saddened. "I hate that they're not here with us at the moment."

"I agree." Hitomu was displeased. "Although we have a general idea that we want to confront Monokuma and ask him questions directly, it is still a problem that the others are not here with us. I do not want to leave them out in the dark. Even if I were to message them myself, I'm still worried that they would not come to us in time. It is also to note of their mental health as well."

Misaki quickly raised her hands. "Ooh! I can be of service! My talent is a medical one, after all!"

"I-I suppose we have to talk to them?" Shinjimae eyed the group nervously.

Hitomu nodded. "A few of us can try to find Masako, Keishi, and Watari. Though this school isn't big, it isn't hard to miss one another. In the meantime, the rest of us will confront Monokuma."

"I'm still worried he might attack us," Tomoyo murmured underneath her breath. It seemed as though that she didn't meant to speak that out loud, the moment she did her eyes widening and cheeks blushing faintly. "S-sorry. Don't mind me."

The cat keeper smiled at the woman, then eyeing the group. "Alright, so I suppose about three people will leave our group to find the others. Does anyone want to volunteer?"

Wakana smiled meekly at Hitomu. "I could try to look for them. I'm really worried about them."

Ayako raised her hand with a wide motion. "Me too! I want to help them!"

Kyatchi thought for a moment, then nodded to himself. A sigh escaped his lips as he spoke. "I suppose I could try myself. I am quite bored of this group already."

Hitomu nodded at the trio's words, acknowledging them with a chuckle. He picked up Kazue and Reiji from the ground, now allowing them on his shoulders. "It sounds like we got this settled rather quickly. We should eat first. Ah, and also, please leave some leftovers for Masako and the other two. I don't want them to starve."

A scoff was heard. "I have prepared enough food for those three," Viorel said, eating the last of his crepe.

Ayako giggled in the meantime. "Alright, let's finish our food!"

And after what Ayako said everyone continued to eat and eat till they were full. Some have already eaten within a few minutes while others took quite a while. About an hour passed before the plates and glasses were drove back into the kitchen, now being washed as Blanchard placed them into the dishwashing machine. A rumbling sound was heard, and everyone was now ready to move. The plan was about to be initiated, and they were nervous.

"Well, guess I'll go look for the others." Kyatchi waved to the group as he left, a yawn having escaped his lips as the door closed.

Wakana and Ayako took this as their cue to leave as well, them waving as well and leaving the rest astray.

Akio looked over to Hitomu. "Are we going to the auditorium to speak to Monokuma?"

"We can always confront him here." Hitomu frowned. "The only problem is if he will appear when we call him. We might just have to resort to messaging him if needed."

"S-should we make sure he won't attack us?" Shinjimae worriedly eyed the group. He was stroking Saki's fur. "W-who's strong here?"

"I seriously don't think he'll attack us." Tomoyo frowned, crossing her arms. She then sighed, then looking around the room. "I'm not sure who here could try to defend us though..."

Akio smiled widely. A confident expression was written over his face. "Don't worry about that! We'll be able to react if Monokuma ever decides to hurt us."

"Yeah, I doubt he'll hurt us anyways." Misaki acknowledged Akio's words with a goofy grin.

"So we just call Monokuma?" Yume raised a brow towards Hitomu's way.

The cat keeper thought for a moment. He cupped his chin, tapped his foot. He then nodded. "I suppose we should message him first, then urge him to come over here and speak to us."

"Alright." Akio shrugged. "Sounds good to me. Are you gonna message him privately?"

The man nodded, taking out his forest green MonoPad (to which Akio had just realized that the MonoPads they all had were the same color) and began to tap to the screen. "I'll message him privately then."

Everyone crowded everyone Hitomu as the man began to type.

 **[Chatroom: (Hitomu/Monokuma)**

 **Hitomu: Monokuma, is it alright if I speak with you? (10:12 AM)]**

Everyone waited patiently. A few minutes passed before a notification was heard, a message popping up.

 **[Monokuma: Wtf do you want? You do know I have a life outside of watching over you little shits, right? (10:15 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Of course, I humbly apologize for that. (10:15 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Bah! Why are you even apologizing? (10:16 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Just go out with it! What do you need, kiddo? (10:17 AM)**

 **Hitomu: I was wondering if you could personally answer my questions, face-to-face. (10:17 AM)**

 **Monokuma: What? (10:18 AM)**

 **Monokuma: You rather have me say it to you right now? I could just answer from here! (10:18 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Yes. I rather have you talk to me personally. (10:19 AM)**

 **Monokuma: What good would that even do? (10:20 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Please, I would like you to speak face-to-face. (10:21 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Sure, I guess! Fuck, I don't really care as long as you don't ask me to be your victim! (10:23 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I'll be right there in a sec! (10:23 AM)**

 **Hitomu: (Type here...)]**

The conversation ended abruptly. Before anyone could even begin to question anything, the bear suddenly popped out of the ceiling, falling straight to the ground. Strangely, the bear seemed to have lost control over his own landing as he suddenly rolled over and over until he crashed into the wall, knocking over a trashcan in the meantime.

Everyone was shocked, bewildered. It happened so suddenly that no one could comprehand what had just happened.

Silence.

Then a shuffling sound was heard. The trashcan suddenly moved back up in place, still. A high-pitched laughter escaped the room, and suddenly Monokuma was up, energetic as always. He headed over to the group of Ultimates, eyes scanning them silently. He then looked to Hitomu.

The cat keeper smiled, ignoring the cats who were hissing at the bear. "It is nice to see you, Monokuma."

"Why the hell are you being nice to me when I thought you and I were just gonna speak privately together?" Monokuma frowned, but then shrugged. He threw his arms out and waved at the group. "What's up bitches! It's Monokuma in the house, back and in one goddamn piece! Huh? Not everyone's even here! What the fuck!"

"Does that even matter?" Kiyoko scoffed, a haughty look in her expression. "We need you to answer our questions."

"Hmph. You guys think I'll even bother to answer hoenstly?" The overseer rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue. "Well, I could always fuck with you guys and speak in half truths and half lies! Haha, actually, that sounds like a goddamn smart idea!"

Akio was disgusted. He hated how the bear was messing with them. "As long as you answer our questions, even if it's in half truths, then it's alright."

"Really? Aw, thanks Aki! I feel better now!" Monokuma laughed, reaching over to his belly and gloating. His eyes were now focused back to the cat keeper. "So? What's up, little shit?"

"Quite a rude remark," Blanchard murmured underneath his teeth.

Hitomu nodded. "Thank you for coming to meet with us personally. I promise we won't ask too many questions." He then crossed his arms, staring firmly at the bear. "Well, if I had to start, I would want to ask- where are we? Are we seperated from society?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Monokuma frowned. "Of fucking course we are! I need a way to keep myself out of trouble from the authorities!"

Hitomu cupped his chin, then raised a finger. "Are we still in Japan though?"

"If we were in an entirely new country, I would've smacked the Ultimates from that country instead of you shits." Monokuma then smirked as he eyed Blanchard. "Blanchie here doesn't count though, so don't bother asking about him."

Blanchard didn't look fazed at this remark, instead listening silently from his seat.

The cat keeper eyed Monokuma for a moment. His expression darkened. "May I ask this- are you working under an organization? A professional organization? A terrorist group? Or are you working alone with someone else?"

Monokuma stared at Hitomu. A short moment passed between the duo. It was then did the overseer let out a snicker, paws hiding his mouth. "That's what you want to ask, huh? Interesting! Upupupu! I do wonder that myself."

"What does that mean?" Yume frowned.

"I don't know! Do you know?" Monokuma sneered at Yume, the woman unsure of how to respond. "I look like I'm working alone, huh! Then I'm working alone! Or am I?"

"Okay, he's speaking in riddles..." Viorel was shown to be speaking, sarcasm apparent in his voice. "Great."

"Ask a different question then," Akio urged the cat keeper.

Hitomu sighed, but followed suit. "I'll ask a different question, Monokuma. Why even bother with a killing game? Won't you find purpose in selling us off? Why bother making us suffer?"

"It's not like I'm here to sell anyone off or blackmail others." Monokuma shrugged. A nonchalant look was on his face. "Is it for my entertainment? Yeah, that's a reason. Is it to make you suffer? Yeah, and so what. Is it for something else? Hm... Well, you could say that, but I have the right to not tell you guys."

"Rude," Misaki murmured underneath her breath. "We must figure out his secrets! I must get ahold of your DNA."

"Bitch, I'm too pretty to be exposed!" The overseer glared at the woman. "Well, is that all?!"

Hitomu thought for a moment, thinking. He looked to Akio who turned to the bear. "You don't need to answer me honestly. I would know if you're lying or not." The actor couldn't help but smirk dryly at Monokuma who innocently tilted his head. "But if there is someone working with you, then is it someone in this building?"

Everyone was shocked. They all looked at the actor who was staring intensely at Monokuma.

"Hm..." The bear thought for a moment, then snapping his fingers. He looked at Akio and chuckled. "What will you do the moment I tell you yes? Will you riot? You know if I say yes this will cause discord within your little group of unity, correct? You do know that even if I say no that everyone will still begin to suspect one another, right? Didn't you just dig yourself into a hole, Aki?"

Akio couldn't help but smirk wider. He didn't know why, but he found himself speaking without realizing it. Without realizing it, he had said what had been in his head. "Doubt is needed in this sort of situation. There cannot be unity without a sense of distrust within a group, especially in this situation."

"I see where you're coming from." Monokuma nodded. He was suddenly interested in Akio, an amused expression escaping his face. "Good point, Aki, good point. You're much more levelheaded and realistic than I would've thought beforehand."

"Is that a compliment?" Akio frowned. He pursed his lips. "I don't feel like you should be complimenting us given the fact that you're our enemy."

"I mean, we could still be friends in a twisted sense." The bear snickered. "I could help any of you guys kill! Just ask, and I'll give you a hint on which person would be best to kill!"

"What? That's messed up." Misaki scrunched her nose.

Akio frowned. "So, you won't tell me the answer, Monokuma?"

"Oh, you're that curious?" The bear rolled his eyes. "Be patient, Aki. The answer might come soon, well, that is, if I allow it to happen! Puhuhuhuhu!"

The actor took this answer as final, clicking his tongue. He was now silent. He didn't expect the bear to answer him, but it was still frustrating to see that his initial thoughts were correct. He could only stand still in disgust as Hitomu began to speak again.

"I think that's all the answers we have for now." The cat keeper let out a small smile. "Thank you for taking time to answer us."

Monokuma smiled happily, raising his paw up. "Yuppers! Of course! I'm a nice bear, after all!"

Kiyoko raised a brow. "Are you sure about that?"

Monokuma didn't listen to the recreation worker, simply ignoring her. "Welp! I'm gonna go, so see you!"

And before anyone could say anything to stop him, he was gone. He disappeared from thin air.

"Um..." Shinjimae's voice escaped the room. A second had passed since Monokuma had disappeared. "S-so would we consider this plan a s-success?"

"I guess?" Misaki frowned, tapping to her chin. "At least he didn't attack us though, right?"

"True, that's a relief..." Tomoyo murmured under her breath, sighing.

"We learned a bit." Blanchard mused from where he sat.

"But it doesn't necessarily rise our chances of escaping this place." Kiyoko frowned. A displeased expression was on her face.

Akio snapped his fingers. "Maybe we should actually take our chances and stir up trouble then." He then looked at Shinjimae and chuckled. "Not everyone has to be present. Only a few of us could be there to cause trouble. I think seeing what Monokuma would get pissed at would make us aware of his weaknesses and all that, after all. Besides, if he gets mad at a certain thing, it could be a hint to something."

"True..." Shinjimae still seemed hesitant, Saki rubbing herself on his leg. "I-I do want to help you guys though."

"You don't have to force yourself to!" Misaki smiled widely at the animal whisperer, eyes brightening. "Wait, since you have a talent such as animal whisperer... Maybe you could tell Saki and Hitomu's cats to help us attack Monokuma?"

"W-what?!" Shinjimae was shocked, almost offended. "O-of course not. Saki's not violent... a-and I couldn't dare ask Kazue or Reiji..."

Hitomu chuckled. "Let's leave the animals out of this, Misaki. All we need to do is plan a way to lure Monokuma out and not cause us to get into huge trouble. We need to stir up trouble that would genuinely frustrate Monokuma, to showcase his weakness and hint at something... Hm..."

"Y'know, we don't really know much about Monokuma." Kiyoko frowned, eyeing the group. "There is little to know about him, and we can't necessary figure out what would frustrate him."

"Maybe if we talked about this yesterday in much more detail, then we could've thought of a way to find his weaknesses from us asking him questions." Akio frowned, cursing inwardly to himself. He honestly hated how he didn't think about that sooner. "We can't necessary ask him to come out now either. He'd be suspicious of us."

Akio didn't bother to mention the worrying detail that Monokuma seemed to know exactly where Hitomu was earlier. Monokuma was definitely spying on them, and although it should've been obvious, the actor never once saw a camera out there.

It was hidden, and that was worrying.

Tomoyo bit into her lips, hugging her arms. "We'll just have to make an educated guess then."

"Mhm." Kiyoko sighed at this fact. It was definitely something of concern. "I still think that idea's risky, but I suppose we got no choice now."

"Whatever works best." Yume didn't care in the slightest bit.

"We need to tell the rest about this then." Hitomu took out his MonoPad. "I'll message Wakana and the others about this."

Misaki nodded her head. "Hopefully they're fine."

With that said, Hitomu messaged the trio. Everyone was left to worry about what to do next.

Akio sighed.

It was then did the door open, revealing Watari.

The detective was smirking at the group. It seemed like he had found something of immsense interest, the look on his eyes telling Akio everything he needed to know.

"Why are you here?" The actor frowned, glaring at the shorter man.

Watari shrugged as he closed the doors behind him. Besides him came rushing Kyatchi, the juggler shaking his head. Akio didn't know why, but the juggler seemed a bit annoyed. It looked as though Watari had done something.

"I thought for a bit," the detective began. He threw a wry grin at Kyatchi who frowned, moving back to where he had sat before. The short man continued to stand in front of the door. "And I think I should be generous enough to share something with you all. It concerns you, Aki."

"Me?"

Akio frowned. He could see the detective's smug grin.

This day was going to be a long and excruiating one- Akio was certain of that.

* * *

And that's it for this chapter! Sorry if it looked a bit shorter than usual, and I'm sorry there weren't any FTEs here! Hopefully the next chapter will be long to make up for this, and hopefully my fingers won't be dead till that time! The first case in this story is about to come up soon, and I wonder who will die... Anyways, I have a poll on my page if you want to vote~ Please vote for who the victim might be there!

Anyways, hope to see you all in the future!


	7. Chapter 1 - Part 1, Part C

Hello, and welcome to the next chapter of Act of Despair! I'm sorry I haven't uploaded a new chapter to this story for a while, and so I hope you can forgive me with this relatively long and juicy chapter! There is a lot that will happen in this chapter, and so I hope this will be satisfying to your liking!

 **ToonGuy:** "Haha, glad you seem happy about the last chapter! Aw, thanks! I'm glad you think so about that little thing! It makes me happy to hear that. Yes, well, the duo do seem to want to be left alone, after all. Glad you seem to like Tomoyo! Haha, well, nice thoughts on Misaki. Glad you like Decebel. Glad you don't think badly of Kyatchi! Haha, well, why don't we make it canon then? Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"

 **liammarklh88:** "Nice to see you! I'm glad I'm portraying Kyatchi to your liking! I hope I'll do him justice. I'm mostly interested in murders too, let's not lie here guys. Hitomu is our smart little leader. Haha, well, let's see if you are right. Glad you liked last chapter, and hope you'll enjoy this one!"

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "I'm glad you enjoyed it and I'm glad you like how I'm portraying Ayako so far."

 **PainX65:** "I love you too, my beautiful stranger."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Haha, well, this review was still long nonetheless. You always impress me with how analytical you are, so I don't mind the length XD Yes, the chatroom is a mechanic I am hoping to use in this story, specifically the trials. Akio's not the only one who chats people privately you know. I'm glad you seem to enjoy the dynamics being shown so far. I hope I'll be able to write out some more interesting dynamics in the future as well. Haha, well, who knows? Only the future could tell. Well, there will be more Monokuma interactions in the future, so look forward to that. Hm, well, let's see what happens in this chapter then! Haha, hopefully you will like this chapter (or not)."

* * *

Akio frowned, eyeing the detective. That look of amusement was written all over the shorter man's face. The actor couldn't help but cross his arms. "So, what do you want to tell us, Watari?"

Watari smirked. His attention was entirely focused on Akio. "Are you sure you want me to tell you all? It concerns you, silly."

"I don't think that I hold anything of value here," the brunette retorted. "We are discussing about how to stop this killing game. If you want to pull our leg here, then please don't talk."

"You think I was joking? Oh, silly Aki." Watari snickered, moving closer towards the middle of the room. The door was closed with a slam, Watari now turning around to eye the entire group. "I'm sure you're all curious, and despite my information coming at a price, I'll be generous today. This information is for free."

Hitomu observed the detective, suspicious. "This supposed information you are giving us pertains to our situation, right?"

"Of course it is. I would not tell you something that does not relate to our situation." The detective tapped his foot. He was obviously amused by this entire situation. "Besides, this information may prove useful in raising your chances of survival."

Yume frowned. "And it is about Blaise..."

"Mhm." Watari observed the room for a moment, then frowning. "I suppose a few of your supposed friends are not here at the moment?"

"Yup." Misaki sipped into her glass of water. "Wakana and Ayako are getting Masako and Keishi right now."

The door was opened.

Watari grinned. "Ah, what nice timing."

Blanchard looked back. "Ah, welcome."

Wakana's eyes widened as she looked inside the room. "Oh! You were able to get Watari here, Kyatchi?"

The juggler didn't say anything, only frowning as he noticed the looks of discomfort in Masako and Keishi. "Is it really intelligent to keep those two here? They seem quite distraught over their interrupted time of silence."

"I-I'm sorry if I offended you with my behavior." Masako bowed her head down, a worried look on her face. "I'm just nervous... Sorry!"

Keishi averted his gaze. "I just don't want to make you guys suffer... If I'm here-"

"Hey!" Ayako smiled widely at the duo. She was determined to make them feel homely. She did not want to outcast them at all. "Don't be so worried! We'll be fine."

Hesitation was written over the duo's faces, but they silently agreed despite their worry.

The four Ultimates took their seats. Everyone's attention was on Watari.

The detective cleared his throat, still standing lo and behold in the middle of the room. "Since my information is valuable, I will share with you this little tidbit of information for one time, for free. A generous offer, isn't that right?"

Kiyoko scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Just tell us what it is."

"Of course." The detective winked at the woman, making her grimace in response. He chuckled silently before beginning. "Well, what I want to speak to you all today is about our dear Aki. Why though? What is so interesting about a boring person like him?" A smirk escaped his lips. "Well... It's the fact that Aki here isn't normal. It is the fact that Aki here isn't normal. He isn't like us."

"Huh?" Shinjimae looked worried, Saki nuzzling herself on his leg to comfort him. "W-what do you mean by n-normal?"

Watari's smile widened. The worried looks only pleasured him further, his eyes glimmering in excitement. He couldn't help but let out a snicker. "Well, my poor souls, it is the fact that Aki here has murdered before."

Silence escaped through the room.

A dark, looming silence.

"What?"

The detective's smile darkened. His eyes dulled, his focus now on Akio. The actor was silent, and that only made Watari even more amused. "Do you not believe me? Are you wondering why I know this? Who told me? Why was I told this?" He let out a sigh. A mocking sigh. "Well, to be frank, as a detective, it is my duty to know everything about everyone. I did a bit of research on each of you."

"But..." Wakana looked nervously at Akio. She shook her head, looking back to Watari. "T-there's no way that's true."

"Well, believe what you want." Watari chuckled. "But as a detective, the information I find is always trustworthy. Whether or not the person whom I sell the information to trusts it or not is of their own will. I have no control over it."

"But to think of Blaise as a murderer..." Kyatchi looked displeased, pulling on his bandanna. "That sounds uncanny."

Akio frowned. He glared at the detective. "So, why bother to even tell us such a farfetched lie? Are you trying to ruin the unity we're trying to maintain right now? Are you working under Monokuma, is that what's up?"

"Heh." Watari looked straight into the actor's eyes. "I am merely informing them to be cautious around you, that's all."

"Why would we believe this?" Hitomu was straightforward in his voice. He seemed hesitant. "What would make us believe that this claim is true?"

The detective shrugged. It was a teasing gesture. "Why would you not believe it? Why would you not at least take what I say into account? Trusting Akio fully makes you look like a naive little child."

Tomoyo frowned. "Doesn't the same thing apply to you?"

"Smart girl. I like that." Watari grinned, eyeing the screenwriter who averted her gaze. "You cannot trust everyone fully. The same thing applies to me, you, and Aki as well. Just take what I say into consideration, that's all. My information is valuable, of course~"

The detective then began to walk out of the door. He stopped inches before the door, his attention turned back to the group. "Another little tidbit of information here, though take it more as a warning- everyone can kill, and everyone can die. A simple request may mean someone's death."

The door opened, and Watari was gone. The door closed, and now it was silence.

It was deadly silent.

Moments passed.

Minutes passed.

Finally, someone raised their voice.

"So, uh... Watari believes Blaise is a murderer, right?"

Akio eyed the person who was speaking. It was Wakana, the woman awkwardly smiling at the group. He sighed, shaking his head. "Watari is lying, of course. I don't remember anything that's about me killing anyone."

"But we don't exactly remember everything that happened, right?"

Akio's eyes widened. He eyed Masako who worriedly looked at him, her face pale. "Do you seriously believe him?"

"I-I mean, he did tell us to take it into consideration." Masako's voice was shaking. "I-I don't mean to offend you though! I'm sorry!"

"I seriously don't think Blaise could be a murderer..." Wakana cupped her hands, almost as if she were praying to herself.

Kiyoko scoffed. "Can being hopeful really be of use here? If Blaise is a murderer, then that means he could kill one of us."

Akio was shocked. "What?"

"Yeah, true. So, what do we do?" Kyatchi eyed Hitomu. "We have an assumed murderer in our little ragtag team."

Akio frowned. He couldn't believe what was happening. "Kyatchi!"

"You really believe he's a murderer?" Blanchard seemed a bit doubtful, eyeing the actor. He thought for a moment, then sighing. "I suppose we should take what Master Watari said into consideration though."

The flip of the eyepatch. Viorel nodded his head rapidly. "That is correct. Master Blaise here might be a murderer."

"Well, if we were to take what Watari said into consideration..." Hitomu eyed the actor. A sigh escaped his lips. It was obvious he was hesitant in what he was saying. "Then we might have to outcast him at the moment. This is risky."

"What?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Are we really going to just isolate him out of nowhere?"

Keishi eyed the group, his voice quiet, but apparent. "If he's a murderer, I would think that you shouldn't take your chances..."

"No, seriously! You guys believe Watari?" Akio found himself standing up from his seat, disbelief written all over his face. "Why? Why would you believe someone like him? He's not trustworthy at all!"

"Well, to be fair, we don't exactly know each other. We are all not on friendly terms, to be honest." Kiyoko eyed the actor with a stern face. "I may know a few of you here as well as how others would know others, but we are all not friends. Not at all."

Blanchard raised a hand. "To be honest, I hold no exact knowledge of you people till now."

Ayako tilted her head. "Seriously? Not even Blaise! I mean, even if I'm in the entertainment industry and see him here and there, I would think that the entire Japanese public would know him."

The screenwriter nodded. "That is true. I would think most of us would know him. Wakana's a huge fan of his, for example."

The eyepatch was switched. Viorel cleared his throat. "To be frank, you could say Blanchard and I were sheltered."

"Oh." The model went silent for a moment. Her cheeks were pink. "Sorry! I didn't know."

Yume looked over to Akio. "So, we're planning on isolating him, right?"

"I-I knew I shouldn't have been here..." Masako was busy murmuring to herself, to concentrated on her thoughts to even bother with the others. Her entire body was shaking. "M-murderer..."

"To be completely honest, even if we do seem to have heard of one another, we do not completely know one another." Blanchard looked over to the group, calm in his tone. "Might Viorel and I suggest that there's a possibility that we are all guilty of something quite... gruesome?"

Everyone seemed to jump, flinching.

"What?" Kyatchi let out a snort. "Are you suggesting that we're all murderers? Even our happy-go-lucky Wakana?"

"H-hey..." The florist frowned, pouting.

"T-that's a possibility...?" Shinjimae began to pale, eyes widening. "I-if everyone here are murderers, then...!"

Tomoyo bit into her lips, concern written over her face. "H-hey... There's no way that's the case! That's insane."

"W-what if it's true though?" Masako was murmuring to herself, her breathing beginning to quicken. "I-if everyone here are murderers, t-they're out to kill me... W-why? it sounds so crazy, b-but at the same time it makes sense...?!"

Kiyoko crossed her arms. "A shocking theory, but given the fact that Watari called Blaise out as a murderer... It might just be possible. I don't exactly know you all that well."

Ayako quickly threw her hands up, sudden fear in her eyes. "S-same to you then! I am not a murderer! I didn't do anything!"

"Me neither." Misaki eyed the recreation worker sternly. "I didn't do anything either."

"Seriously..." Akio was shocked. "Our unity just went off just like that? Just because of a stupid tale?"

Blanchard shook his head, eyeing the actor. "I wouldn't necessarily call it stupid, Master Blaise. It is more so that it is something to take into consideration."

"It's obviously a farfetched tale, and it's stupid to even think that we would all be murderers now." The brunette eyed the butler who looked back at him, curious. Akio couldn't help but frown, walking around the table in a circle. He was walking slowly as he spoke. "Why exactly would we trust someone like Watari? He never intended to help us in the first place, so why now? Wouldn't you suspect that Monokuma told him this in order to break our unity together?"

Shinjimae thought for a moment, his eyes then widening. "W-wait, b-but if I remember correctly, w-we don't exactly remember everything that happened b-before this."

The actor raised a brow. He stopped. "What do you mean?"

"W-we don't remember how w-we ended up here..." The animal whisperer was nervously stroking Saki's fur. "... B-but what if that w-wasn't all we don't remember? W-what if we don't remember e-everything about our background?"

"You could call that selective amnesia, huh?" Hitomu cupped his chin, pondering on the thought. His eyes were eyeing the ground. "That does sound plausible. It may be that we do not only forget how we ended up here, but we had forgotten a few more tidbits of information about our own background. It would make sense."

"You really think Blaise could be a murderer?" Wakana's eyes were teary. "T-there's just no way he could be a murderer! Watari's just messing with us!"

"And what if he isn't?" Kiyoko eyed the florist coldly. "What if Watari was trying to help us? What if he is telling us the truth? For all we know, the Blaise here is fake. He is putting up an act. Isn't it beneficial that he's an actor too?"

Ayako's eyes widened. She could hear the overt sarcasm in the recreation worker's voice. "H-hey, Kiyoko! Stop it!"

The recreation worker then glanced over the entire group. "Who knows? Maybe you guys are all murderers. I don't know you all that well, after all."

"T-that's foolish!" Wakana found herself screaming. Her hands were clenched into fists. "So not only Blaise, but now you suspect all of us too?!"

"Can I not be here?" Keishi awkwardly eyed the group. "I rather not be here to witness this."

"G-guys, please stop." Tomoyo was eyeing Kiyoko and Wakana worriedly. She could see the doubt in the two women's eyes, and it was obvious that the others were beginning to grow uneasy as well. "Please, let's not fight."

Akio was silent. He was watching the group falling out before his very eyes. He grimaced inwardly to himself. _Just because of that fucker Watari... He's making a fool outta us. Tsk._

"Uh..." Kyatchi wryly eyed Tomoyo and the other two women. "Guess we'll be witnessing a little cat fight, eh?"

Ayako turned the juggler in disgust. "Kyatchi!"

"Cat fights seem fun!" Misaki grinned widely. "I would love to watch one."

"Why don't we end the meeting now?" Hitomu smiled awkwardly at the group, having clapped his hands. He then turned to the actor. "We can discuss this later. I'll try to find Watari and ask him for more details. For now..." He averted his gaze. "... Well, we'll see what happens. I'll talk to Watari first before talking to you. I'll message you privately."

Akio was distraught by this, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Sure."

"Alright, the meeting has ended." Hitomu smiled widely, his cats purring besides him. "Blanchard, please help me bring the dishes back to the kitchen."

The butler stood up, bowing his head. "Of course, Master Hitomu. It is my duty to serve you and the others."

Kiyoko scoffed. She turned towards the door. "I cannot be around you guys. Sorry, but I can't help but suspect you all now."

"What? Seriously?" Misaki pouted. "It's stupid to think that we're all murderers, right?"

Kyatchi smirked, tugging on his bandannas. "I mean, it's not that far of a theory if you think about it."

Wakana was silent.

"I..." Keishi bit into his lips. "I rather not be around you guys any longer."

Slowly, the group began to disperse. As quickly as Masako and Keishi came in, the more quickly they went out. Blanchard and Hitomu had stayed behind to wash the dishes, Kiyoko and Misaki having left to do something by their lonesome. Kyatchi had also left by himself, and Shinjimae had went out into his own room. Yume had quickly disappeared from the scene, Ayako having left with Wakana by her side. Now, Akio was left alone in the cafeteria with Tomoyo, the woman biting into a bar of chocolate.

The actor frowned, eyeing the woman. She seemed greatly worried about him, but at the moment Akio couldn't care less. He was more worried about what Watari said, and how badly it affected the group as a whole.

Most importantly, how it impacted him.

 _He's just trying to make everyone hate me. I knew he wasn't to be trusted the moment I met him. Goddamn it._

 _He even caused the group to disperse, just like that._

Akio sighed. He honestly wanted to find the detective to yell at him, but he couldn't. He knew better than that.

 _Well, I guess I can just roam around the area till I have something to do._

The actor walked outside of the cafeteria. He looked around the school for a moment, observing its surroundings. He looked over to his MonoPad, eyeing it for a moment. There seemed to be nothing new. No notifications, anything.

Another sigh escaped his lips. He decided he should go to the auditorium first, realizing that he may be able to think to himself in his lonesome. Though he can go to his own room and think, he felt like he needed to be out for a while. He just felt like getting a fresh breath of air.

 _Though I'm not exactly outside. Ha._

Akio chuckled to himself. He walked down towards the auditorium, then creaking the doors open. The moment the actor had opened the door he saw something spectacular.

Something spectacular, and something dangerous.

There was Kyatchi, juggling knives in his hands.

And then there was Monokuma, cheering him on from the sidelines.

"Uh..." Akio was frozen in shock, unsure of what to do. The grip on the door loosened, and the door slammed shut. The actor looked over to the door., fear in his eyes "Ah, shit!" His eyes glanced back to the juggler, hoping for the best. He did not want to lose the juggler's concentration.

Kyatchi looked to Akio, the knives still being juggled in hand. "Oh, are you here to watch me die?"

"What?" The brunette was baffled. "Uh, no. Why are you juggling those knives anyways? Put them down!"

"Says the supposed murderer, but then again there is a possibility I could be one. Hm." The juggler rolled his eyes, however he tossed the knives perfectly to the ground. They were now on the ground, in a pile. He bowed his head down. "Our beautiful overseer Monokuma here wanted to see me juggle some dangerous items, and so I decided to entertain him for a bit. That's all."

Monokuma laughed. "Upupupu! I'm always in the mood for seeing danger up close and personal! A shame you didn't slice your hands off."

Kyatchi sighed. "Yes, it is a real shame. I was hoping for a finger or two."

"I know right?!" The bear groaned. "What a shame!"

Akio couldn't believe his eyes. The juggler was just going along with what Monokuma was saying. He wasn't exactly sure of how to respond, nor whether he should be impressed or scared.

 _Maybe a little bit of both, if I had to be honest._

"Welp, anyways!" Monokuma threw his paws out. "I heard that you all think you're murderers now! Isn't that a blast?"

Kyatchi sighed, tugging the bandannas on his wrists. "Yeah, it is. It is all thanks to Watari. I didn't want him to tell the others that Blaise was a murderer simply because of this. I really hate hearing the whole 'I can't be a murderer' shenanigan. It sounds hypocritical."

The overseer threw his paws over his mouth. "Shit, you speak my language! I'd fall for you if you weren't so ready to die though."

Akio couldn't help but frown, eyeing the bear. "What? Is it you who told Watari this shit?"

"Who knows?" Monokuma grinned at the brunette, however he then yawned. "Anyways, I gotta go. Thanks for entertaining me, Kyatchi babe."

The juggler smirked dryly. "Bye, I suppose."

The bear nodded, then jumping to the ceiling. There, he suddenly disappeared, now leaving Akio and Kyatchi alone.

"Uh..." The actor observed the man for a moment, then sighing. He crossed his arms. "Is there really any need to entertain Monokuma by juggling some knives? You could hurt yourself, y'know?"

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "It's not like I've heard that for the tenth millionth time, Blaise." He looked back at the actor. "Why're you even here anyways? Are you that desperate for attention that you'd even act in front of an empty crowd?"

"You make me sound like a psycho." Akio chuckled, now loosening the tension on his shoulders. "But seriously, what's the deal with you entertaining Monokuma?"

"I mean, it wouldn't hurt to entertain your own master, right?" Kyatchi smirked. "If a master gets bored, then they'll kick you out of the house in no time flat. Monokuma only sees us as his little playmates, his dolls. I would believe that Monokuma is bored out of his mind right now. We aren't exactly planning to murder each other yet, huh?"

Akio frowned. "Like we'll even think about something like that?"

"Who knows? There's always a dark horse." The juggler yawned. "Anyways, so what exactly were you planning to do here, suspected murderer?"

"I'm not a murderer- Ugh, whatever." The brunette sighed, scratching his head. "Well, I just planning to think to myself somewhere other than my own room. The first thing that popped up in my head was this place. That's... That's all, really."

"That's pretty tragic." The juggler snickered. "From the famous Blaise to a lowly criminal who's been thrown out by all, it's really tragic."

"Forget about that. We'll figure this out later." Akio crossed his arms. "Why're you even in here then, Kyatchi?"

Kyatchi's eyes widened. "Oh. I was actually here to practice my juggling. I was just interrupted by Monokuma, and then this led me to juggling knives, and then this led me to you now."

"I see." Akio nodded. A moment passed in silence. The duo wondered what to do, and Akio let out a sigh. "You wanna hang out?"

"You would like to hang out with a depressed person like me?" Kyatchi raised a brow, baffled. "A sociable and friendly person like you is the complete opposite of me. Why would someone of your kind care about someone like me?"

"Hey, I mean, you don't have to if you really think like that." Akio frowned, staring intensely into the man's eyes. "I really don't have anything to do right now, and what better way to pass the time than to just talk? Besides, I'd like to know you better, Kyatchi."

The juggler averted his gaze, playing with his hair. "Well, for starters, you could waste time by wondering about how to win back everyone's hearts-"

"Well, let's hang out!" Akio clapped his hands together, smiling widely at the juggler. "I won't take no for an answer!"

Kyatchi was shocked.

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Kyatchi?**

 _ **You already made up your mind!**_ / Can I be a jerk and say no?

* * *

 **Kyatchi:** Alright then. What do you want to talk about?

 **Akio:** Hm, for starters, you. I want to know more about you.

 **Kyatchi:** Me? Why? Do you want to feel delighted that you get to waste time with me?

 **Akio:** Nah, I just really wanna get to know you and the others.

 **Kyatchi:**... Well, if you insist. What do you want to know about me first other than me being a depressed, cynical person?

 **Akio:** Huh? What?

 **Akio:** Oh! Well, how about I get to know the basics? Like, what are your hobbies?

 **Kyatchi:** How boring. Almost as boring as you.

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph. Well, for hobbies, an obvious one would be me practicing my juggling.

 **Akio:** Makes sense. You are the Ultimate Juggler, after all.

 **Kyatchi:** Some people could be an Ultimate for doing nothing at all. Don't assume things so openly, Blaise.

 **Akio:** Ah, right.

 **Kyatchi:** Another hobby of mine would be to read books. Sounds stereotypical, right?

 **Akio:** I mean, most teenagers these days prefer to play dress up and go on their phones. I would only think that you reading books is stereotypical because of how you dress.

 **Kyatchi:** Touche. I do prefer to try on fancy clothing, so you got me there.

 **Akio:** Not surprised about that, seeing how you look now! I personally hate trying on new clothes. I like to wear clothes that everyday people could afford.

 **Kyatchi:** Are you a saint? Everyone does not think like you, Blaise.

 **Akio:** I mean... Well, nevermind that! What else do you like to do?

 **Kyatchi:** Another hobby I like to indulge myself in is... Huzzah! To play video games.

 **Kyatchi:** I know right? How typical of a teenager.

 **Akio:** I mean, yeah. Most people play video games though.

 **Kyatchi:** Well, let me tell you something that is more stereotypical of a juggler, of someone who works in a circus.

 **Akio:** Yeah, and that is...?

 **Akio:** Ow!

 **Kyatchi:** Pulling pranks on people.

 **Akio:** _Before I even knew it, Kyatchi had thrown a plentiful of juggling balls straight at my face._

 **Akio:** K-Kyatchi!

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph. You're so easy to fool.

 **Kyatchi:** I'll leave now. Thanks for providing me some good entertainment material.

* * *

 **Kyatchi's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Kyatchi has a plentiful of hobbies. He, of course, likes to practice juggling as well as to read books. He also prefers to play video games like most people. It is also to note that Kyatchi likes to pull pranks on people. It might be a good idea to be wary around him.

* * *

Akio sighed, feeling sweat trickling down his face. The juggling balls had strangely disappeared from the ground, and the man could only assume Kyatchi had taken them all before he left the stage.

 _Goddamn it Kyatchi._

The actor rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his lips.

 _Well, that actually put me in a good mood though. I guess I should be grateful that he threw those balls at me._

Akio looked around the room. It was empty. The actor chuckled and headed outside of the room. He wondered where he should go next, and he looked around the area while walking. That was when he saw Blanchard who had went outside of the cafeteria.

"Hey!" Akio ran over to the butler, a smile on his face. He wondered if the butler would be willing to talk to him. "What's up?"

Blanchard eyed the actor for a moment, then nodding his head after a blank expression. "Ah, I am doing fine. I thank you for your kind question. Viorel is doing fine as well, if you must know."

"Ah, I see! That's good." The actor awkwardly chuckled, looking up at the man. "You're done washing dishes with Hitomu?"

The butler switched his eyepatch, Viorel now speaking. "That is correct. What's wrong? Do you require our assistance for something?"

"Huh?" The actor frowned. "Assistance? What, no, you don't need to help me with anything. I just wanna talk to you and Blanchard, that's all."

"That's strange, huh, Blanchard?"

The eyepatch was switched. "I do find it quite strange that someone would not require of our assistance. Master Blaise, we are the Ultimate Butler. What we do is serve people nonstop. I am troubled if we are not working on a chore."

"Oh, I see." Akio's heart dropped. He then thought for a moment, then snapping his fingers. "Hey! I got it! How about this? I'll request you to do something for me."

Blanchard's eyes widened. "Yes? What do you require?"

The brunette smirked, pointing a finger gun at the butler. He shot the trigger. "I want you two to hang out with me. I request that you two talk to me. I need someone to keep me company."

The butler looked at the actor for a moment, then nodding his head. "Ah, I see. Well, if that is what you require, then I will accept your request."

Akio snapped his fingers. "Nice!" He then frowned, a sudden thought escaping through his head. "Wait, Blanchard, Viorel, I got a question."

The eyepatch was switched. "What is it?"

"Do you think that I'm a murderer?" The actor was curious. "I don't exactly know what you're thinking."

"Hmph, I see." Viorel smirked. "To be honest, we are uncertain about that. We do want to trust Master Watari, but we want to trust you as well. You can safely assume that we are taking things into consideration, but not exactly I guess."

"Mhm." Akio crossed his arms, nodding. "Makes sense."

The eyepatch switched, now back to Blanchard. "Besides, Viorel, we ourselves do work that pertains to a 'murderer'."

"B-Blanchard, do you have to say that so openly?!"

"What? That was all in the past, Viorel."

"I know that, but Master Blaise is watching us!"

Akio awkwardly watched the scene. "Uh..."

Blanchard quickly cleared his throat. "So, you request for us to keep you company, correct?"

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Blanchard and Viorel?**

 _ **Just do it!**_ / No, they're weird!

* * *

 **Akio:** Yeah. I want to know you two better.

 **Blanchard:** I see. What would you like to know about us, Master Blaise?

 **Akio:** I guess...

 **Akio:** _No, I shouldn't ask about how they became so... close. I'll just ask them questions about their past and all that fancy stuff._

 **Akio:** So, where do you guys live? I haven't heard a name such as Blanchard or Viorel in Japan before.

 **Blanchard:** Ah, I see. I suppose it would make sense for you to question our names.

 **Blanchard:** Viorel and I were born in an organization which based our names on our given month's birth flower. That is all there is to our names.

 **Akio:** Uh... I see! That's interesting to know.

 **Akio:** _Do I even have the luxury of asking them for more detail on this? I feel like it'd be rude to ask them more about their past now, given that they didn't call whom they live with a 'family', but an 'organization'._

 **Akio:** So, what do you two like to do at your place? Do you have any hobbies or likes?

 **Viorel:** Yeah, about that, we both have extremely different hobbies.

 **Akio:** Really?

 **Viorel:** What? Is it that surprising-

 **Blanchard:** Don't be rude to Master Blaise.

 **Viorel:** Tsk. I know that.

 **Blanchard:** Well, Master Blaise, we both have different hobbies we like to partake in. For example, I like to partake in relaxing hobbies such as cooking, reading, and sightseeing. I love to decorate food as well.

 **Akio:** I see. That's nice to know!

 **Viorel:** Uhuh. Well, for me, I like to jog and do shadow boxing.

 **Akio:** Oh, I see. You two sound like polar opposites even more now.

 **Viorel:** Heh, you think? Well, I also like to learn more insults-

 **Blanchard:** I suppose you could say that, Master Blaise. However, I am rather curious, when you said you wanted to request for our assistance, you merely wanted to learn more about us? That is all?

 **Akio:** Yeah, that's right! I really want to learn more about you guys.

 **Blanchard:** Ah, I see. Well, unfortunately, we must be going now. I want to clean up the area in the construction site. It is too messy for our liking.

 **Viorel:** Oh, right. Well, we must take our leave now, Master Blaise.

 **Akio:** Okay! See you two later then.

* * *

 **Blanchard/Viorel's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Blanchard and Viorel have touched upon the fact they lived in an organization, not a family. Other than that, the duo both partake in different hobbies. Blanchard prefers to cook, decorate food, watch the scenery, and read. In the meanwhile, Viorel likes to partake in jogging, shadow boxing, and learning more insults.

* * *

Akio watched the Ultimate Butler leave, the taller man having left and moving towards the the stairs. They had walked up the stairs, and now they were unseen in Akio's eyes.

The actor sighed. The man was about ready to head back to his room when he decided to take out his MonoPad. He turned it on, and strangely enough he got a few notifications from the chatroom. Curious, the man checked the log.

There were three different chatrooms which had the words 'unread messages' at the top, in bold red.

The first one was the group message. The second one would be from Hitomu.

Finally, the third one was from Wakana herself.

Akio frowned. He looked around the area for a moment, then quickly walking into his room. He closed the door shut and sat on his bed, now clicking to the group message, reading it.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top...)**

 **Ayako: So, uh, what're we gonna do about Blaise now? (12:19 PM)**

 **Kiyoko: The same can be said for everyone else. (12:31 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Honestly, I have to agree with her there. (12:33 PM)**

 **Ayako: What?! (12:34 PM)**

 **Ayako: I mean, maybe you guys have a point, but still! (12:35 PM)**

 **Ayako: There's just no way we could all be murderers, let alone Blaise! (12:35 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: I-I mean, we have n-no way of knowing... (12:37 PM)**

 **Wakana: Don't believe Watari! I don't think Blaise could be a murderer at all! (12:40 PM)**

 **Hitomu: We'll discuss this later. (12:56 PM)**

 **Yume: I rather be alone. (01:01 PM)**

 **Kiyoko: Same. (01:05 PM)**

 **Tomoyo: Wait, so are we going to meet together, or not? (01:10 PM)**

 **Hitomu: ... I don't know. We'll just see who's going to be present at dinnertime. (01:21 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

Akio frowned. He seriously could not believe it. To think that the unity between the group would fall and break that easily was outstanding. It was outstanding, and incomprehensible. He just couldn't believe that Watari's words would be able to shake the unity between the group so easily.

 _He's just trying to mess with us. I have no doubt that he's working with Monokuma. It just seems right._

The actor held his breath. His heart was beating. He decided to tap onto Hitomu's messages, now reading them carefully.

 **[Chatroom: (Akio/Hitomu)**

 **Hitomu: Blaise, we need to talk about what was discussed earlier at breakfast. (02:00 PM)]**

Akio nodded inwardly to himself. He quickly typed into the keypad.

 **[Akio: Sorry I didn't respond to you sooner! (03:12 PM)]**

The actor waited for a few minutes. Soon, a reply was seen.

 **[Hitomu: That's fine. (03:15 PM)**

 **Hitomu: How are you holding up? Are you doing alright? (03:16 PM)**

 **Akio: I'm doing fine! I'm just a bit annoyed that Watari called me a murderer. (03:16 PM)**

 **Hitomu: That makes sense. I'm sorry. Everyone is now suspecting you of being a murderer now. (03:18 PM)**

 **Hitomu: Though I admit I myself am worried about that, I would still like to trust you most of all regardless. (03:18 PM)**

 **Akio: That's fine. I don't mind it. I'm more annoyed that everyone's now claiming that everyone else is a murderer. I feel like this all could've been avoided if it wasn't for Watari. (03:20 PM)**

 **Hitomu: Well, that's true. (03:21 PM)**

 **Hitomu: Anyways, you will be with us at dinner, correct? (03:21 PM)**

 **Hitomu: I am not sure about how many people will be with us at dinner considering what happened earlier... But I hope you will be with us regardless. (03:22 PM)**

 **Akio: Of course I'll be there! I want to help stop this whole killing game anyways. (03:24 PM)**

 **Hitomu: Ah, yes, of course. Then I'll see you there. (03:25 PM)**

 **Akio: Mhm! Gotcha! (03:26 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

The actor smiled. He was glad to see that Hitomu still trusted him. The cat keeper was surely a great person, and Akio was now absolutely certain of that. He was honestly glad that Hitomu was with him.

He was just glad that a few people believed in him. Even one person was enough for him.

The actor chuckled to himself. He then swiped over to Wakana's chatroom, eyeing the messages she sent him.

 **[Chatroom: (Akio/Wakana)**

 **Wakana: Hey Blaise! (12:00 PM)]**

Akio couldn't help but feel bad that he didn't reply to the florist sooner.

 **[Akio: Hey Wakana! (03:29 PM)**

 **Akio: Sorry I didn't reply to you sooner! (03:29 PM)]**

A few minutes went by without a second thought.

 **[Wakana: Ah, no, it's alright! (03:33 PM)**

 **Wakana: How are you? I hope what everyone said earlier didn't bother you! (03:35 PM)**

 **Akio: Of course it did, but I'll be fine. I just can't believe Watari will say something like that. (03:37 PM)**

 **Wakana: I know right? That was so rude of him to do! Why would he be convinced that you're a murderer? (03:38 PM)**

 **Wakana: You're not that type of person to kill at all! (03:38 PM)**

 **Akio: I'm glad you trust me. (03:40 PM)**

 **Akio: But like, Wakana, aren't you worried that I might actually be a killer? People suspect others of being killers too. (03:43 PM)**

 **Wakana: Of course not! (03:43 PM)**

 **Wakana: There's no way we could all be murderers. It's just not possible. (03:44 PM)**

 **Wakana: Aren't we all friends here anyways...? (03:44 PM)**

 **Akio: Yeah, I guess so. (03:45 PM)]**

A few more minutes passed by. Akio waited patiently for the woman to respond, tapping his fingers on the MonoPad. A few minutes passed, and a few more minutes passed until finally- a response.

 **[Wakana: Uh, Blaise? Do you want to hang out later? (03:51 PM)]**

Akio raised a brow. Curious, he began to type.

 **[Akio: Sure. Why? (03:52 PM)**

 **Wakana: I just feel like the whole thing in breakfast made you stressed. (03:53 PM)**

 **Wakana: I don't know, but I feel like I want to cheer you up! (03:53 PM)**

 **Wakana: Uh, is that okay? (03:54 PM)]**

Akio thought for a moment. He shrugged as he typed.

 **[Akio: Sure! That's fine with me. (03:57 PM)**

 **Akio: What do you want us to do? (03:58 PM)**

 **Wakana: O-oh! Really?! (03:59 PM)**

 **Wakana: Well, uh, I was thinking we could just hang out at the library and read to pass the time. Reading books do help calm you down, right? (04:02 PM)**

 **Akio: Oh! I see. (04:02 PM)**

 **Akio: Sounds like fun. When are we gonna hang out together? (04:04 PM)**

 **Wakana: How about after dinner? (04:05 PM)**

 **Akio: Sounds good! Let's do it! (04:06 PM)**

 **Wakana: Alright then! (04:06 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here...)]**

Akio couldn't help but smile widely as he turned off the MonoPad. He placed the device into his pocket, unable to contain the happiness in his face. He was seriously jubilant that people were going out of his way to trust him, to help him. He was just glad that not everyone suspected him of being a killer.

 _Hm, well, guess I should rest now._

The actor chuckled, now throwing the blankets over him. He couldn't care less about his outfit, instead closing his eyes and allowing sleep to take over him.

A few hours passed, and Akio woke up to hear messages ringing. He groggily grabbed ahold of his MonoPad, opening it up. He swiped to the chatroom. It was just a message that Hitomu sent out to the group, claiming that dinner is now ready.

The actor stood up from his seat. He quickly combed his hair with his fingers before moving forth, locking the door behind him. He headed his way into the cafeteria.

Akio frowned once he entered into the area. There were only a few people present.

Only Hitomu, Blanchard, Wakana, and Ayako were to be seen. Everyone else was gone, nowhere in the area.

"Seriously...?" Akio didn't even realize he had said that aloud.

Wakana let out an awkward smile. "Hey Blaise! Sorry there's not all of us here. Everyone didn't come."

Blanchard bowed his head down. "It is nice to see you again, Master Blaise."

"I didn't for most of the others to have left." Akio sighed, walking over to the table. He took a seat down, Blanchard then passing him his meal. The tray was filled with a bowl of rice and fried chicken. "Oh, thanks."

Hitomu smiled as the cats nuzzled against his legs. "I'm quite shocked myself. Everyone left the moment Watari had spoken earlier."

"Seriously? Just because of that?" Akio frowned. He bit into his piece of chicken, gulping it down. "That's stupid."

"I can't believe everyone would leave just like that!" Ayako pouted, crossing her arms. "They just don't want to talk to each other now! They believe everyone else is a murderer."

"It's just impossible for us to be murderers." Wakana frowned. "I don't see why they believe it's possible. Just because we don't remember a few things doesn't mean we're murderers."

"True, but considering we're in a killing game it would make sense for them to be uneasy." Hitomu looked at the group. He had Kazue and Reiji on his shoulders. "Right?"

"I guess..." Wakana was uneasy, cupping her hands. "But I'm just worried about everyone..."

"Well, why don't we eat?" The cat keeper let out a chuckle. "Let's not worry about these things now. Just eat and relax."

Though hesitant, that was what everybody did. Akio was silent as he bit into his food, eating. The room was silent, though it wasn't at all relaxing. It was a tense and awkward atmosphere- an atmosphere that befitted that of a drama movie. It was choking, suffocating.

Nobody was speaking, only eating into their foods.

An awkward, awkward atmosphere.

It was awkward, but what could be said? The only things that the group could bring up was the lack of people present, the theory of everyone being murderers, the killing game... Everything that was to be brought up will only end in a sour note, and they all knew that. They all knew that, and so nobody had spoke. They only ate in silence, the sounds of their chewing and utensils clashing to the table to be heard.

About half an hour passed in silence.

"So, uh..." Wakana was awkwardly eyeing the group. "Y-you think we'll be the only ones here tomorrow morning too?"

Blanchard looked at the florist for a moment, then nodding. "Most likely, Master Wakana. I would believe that everyone had made up their minds on what to do from now on. Our unity has been diminished, to say it lightly."

"Yeah, no kidding." Akio frowned. He sipped into his cup of water. "Can we even counter Monokuma like this?"

"Most likely not." Hitomu sighed, stroking his cats' fur. "We will have to plan something else then, the five of us."

"So we start from zero?" Ayako's eyes widened. She then sighed, her shoulders drooping. "Why? Why can't we all just get along?"

Hitomu shook his head. "Don't worry. Even if we are not working together now, we'll still come up with a way to counter Monokuma We'll get out of here, for sure."

"That's the spirit!" Akio smiled widely at the cat keeper. He looked over to Ayako. "I'm sure we'll be able to find a way out even if it's only the five of us. We'll work together until we find a solution, and then we'll tell the others. Is that good?"

The cat keeper smiled widely in return, nodding. "Yes, that is what I have in mind as well."

Ayako's eyes widened, but suddenly her melancholic face was overwritten with joy. "I-I guess so! I'll try my best."

"Viorel and I as well," Blanchard mused in.

Wakana giggled. She was looking over at the group in excitement. "Then count me in! No matter how long it takes, we will stop Monokuma and get out of here before the murder happens!"

"I won't let a murder even occur!" Ayako cheered loudly, throwing her hands up high in the air. "I'm sure we can do this!"

"Glad to see you're all spirited." Hitomu couldn't help but chuckle to himself. "I'm glad to see you all fine now. We'll come up with a plan tomorrow, alright? We'll talk about this during breakfast."

Blanchard nodded. "Of course."

Wakana and Ayako bobbed their heads joyfully.

Akio inwardly laughed to himself. He was glad that the group seemed fine. He was glad that everything was fine between them.

Everyone had finished eating, and so Hitomu and Blanchard took the dishes into the kitchen. Ayako had waved to the group, leaving to her room. Now, Akio and Wakana were left alone.

"So, you ready to go?" Akio asked, smiling happily at the florist. "Or do you want to rest a bit?"

Wakana giggled. "We can go now."

Akio nodded, standing up from his seat. He followed Wakana outside of the door, the duo heading straight towards the library. Once the duo headed straight to the door, Akio took the time to open it, letting the florist in first. He slowly closed the door shut as he headed inside himself, finding Wakana who was immediately invested in finding a good novel.

"I'm guessing you like to read a lot?" The actor asked, walking over to a nearby shelf. He observed the books that were lined in his eyesight. A few romantic and horror novels were to be seen.

Wakana hummed her response, her finger running through each book. "I do. I tend to read a lot in my pastime. I really love to read comedies."

"Ah, I see." Akio chuckled. He found a book that had taken ahold of his interest- a romantic-horror novel. He took the book out of the shelf and headed to the nearby chair, sitting down. He opened the cover, reading the summary. It was about a detective and artist who were on the run from a strange entity. A rather cliched plot, if Akio had to admit.

The brunette looked back to find Wakana, the florist still looking through the shelves. She was stepping on the stepladder, about a few meters away from where the air vent was. She seemed fully concentrated in searching through the shelves, her eyebrows wrinkled and her face entirely serious.

Akio laughed inwardly to himself. _She still looks cute when she's like that._

The actor turned the page on the novel. It was the table of contents. Well, as expected, the novel was long, about seven hundred pages. Akio already knew it the second he grabbed ahold of the book, but to find the table of contents listing about over fifty chapters made him queasy.

 _Well, I already took this book anyways, so I guess I'll just see if I can read through the whole thing._

Akio looked back to Wakana. The woman seemed to have found a book of interest, grabbing ahold of it immediately. She went down the ladder and happily skipped over to a seat across from Akio. She smiled brightly at him. "You already found a book you like?"

"Mhm." Akio waved the cover to the florist. "Have you heard of this before?"

Wakana eyed the cover for a moment, squinting. She then shook her head. "No, sorry. I'm more into comedy and happy stories!"

The actor laughed. "Makes sense. You are a happy person yourself."

"B-Blaise!" The woman blushed, quickly hiding herself in the book. "I-I'm going to read now if that's fine with you."

Akio nodded. "Of course. I'll go read mine as well."

The brunette turned the page, reading the first chapter. It was slow-paced at first, but within a few more chapters the pace began to build up. Within an hour Akio had learned that the detective and artist were in a relationship, however their relationship immediately soured once a stalker was chasing after the artist. This led to the detective having found the stalker and setting him in jail, but within minutes the detective had learned that the stalker was part of some cult. Now, the couple was being chased down, and they were on the run.

 _Pretty generic and stupid so far, but entertaining to say the least. I could see this as a movie._

Akio continued to read, ignoring his surroundings. Two hours had now passed, and now the brunette found himself reading quite a strange story. The cult was involved in aliens and the like- the generic stuff. Cliched, and within another few chapters the detective had gotten himself kidnapped. Now the artist was left alone in search for her boyfriend.

 _How the fuck will this even end? It's only been twenty chapters so far._

And so the actor continued reading through the story, trying his best to read through the end. A yawn escaped his lips.

The artist had ended up meeting the cult leader. She was brought into the headquarters where she met her boyfriend. Apparently the detective had been tortured and was now about to be a sacrifice to the so-called strange entity above them. Obviously, the artist had wanted to stop this ritual, but it was too late. The detective had been possessed, and the cultists were praising the aliens above them. They had now ordered the possessed detective to kill the artist as a test.

Akio frowned. A strange novel, but a novel to read nonetheless. It was entertaining, and he didn't know if it was good or bad.

Another yawned escaped his lips, and the man found himself rubbing his eyes. He took a moment to look away from his book, eyes now focused on Wakana. The woman had fallen asleep, the book laid down on her lap. She seemed to be in a peaceful sleep.

Akio's eyes were watery. He was getting sleepy. He looked over to the words on the novel before setting the book down. He was sleepy, and he wanted to sleep now. His eyes shut closed, and within seconds the man found himself drifting off into unconsciousness.

A few seconds passed.

A few minutes passed.

A few hours passed.

Who knows how goddamn long time passed?

Akio didn't know. Once the man found himself drifting back into consciousness, the man let out a soft groan. His body seemed to be aching, and his head was aching as well. Everything was aching, and Akio found himself having to force his eyelids to open.

They opened.

They opened, and he instantly regretted opening them.

"What... What the fuck?"

His voice came off as a shaky squeak. A shaky, shaky squeak.

He couldn't help it. Who could? He could've never prepared himself for what he was seeing now.

"What the fuck? No way...There's just no way..."

There, in front of his very eyes, was Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist.

Dead.

Yes, that's right. She was dead.

Wakana Takane was dead.

The woman was sitting right across from the actor, her entire body limp and pale. Her face was flushed from her beautiful fair complexion, now a horrendous color of death. She drooling with saliva, drool trickling down her chin and falling to the the bloodied book on her lap. There were rope burns around the woman's frail neck, obviously meaning the end of her life. She had been choked to death, and those rope burns were the story behind such a case.

However, that wasn't the thing that caused Akio to scream.

No, it was the fact that whoever murdered the woman seemed to have enjoyed it. There was a bloody knife on the ground, then pools of blood everywhere around the woman. The woman's hands and feet have been cut apart from her very body. She was a mannequin, her hands and feet to be seen lying at the ground, almost taunting her.

Worse of all was the fact that the woman had been stabbed right in the chest. She had been stabbed in the chest, and the killer made sure to implant a parting gift for the woman.

There was a red rose that had been stabbed into the woman's chest, sticking high into the air.

High into the air as if Wakana were to blossom that flower into health.

Akio shook his head. He shook his head so rapidly that he began to lost his line of sight. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, the man having fallen off his chair. His entire body was shaking. Everything around him was shaking, and a scream escaped his lips.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

* * *

... And that's the end of the chapter! And, well, officially the end of the happy times with this cast. We have our first murder, after all, and who would've expected it to be our beautiful florist (totally not sarcasm)?! Well, I know a lot of people love our beautiful Wakana, but hopefully we'll be able to bring her to a peaceful death by finding out who killed her!

Well, anyways, the next time, this chapter will have its investigation out! I am hoping that I will be able to give you all a wonderful trial and investigation here! Wish me luck, and thanks for reading this story!


	8. Chapter 1 - Part 2, Part A

Hello, and welcome to the investigation to our first case! I had a little streak when writing this in, and it's now late at night! Hopefully this chapter makes the least bit sense to you all. Anyways, let us emerge ourselves into this investigation! One could only wonder why Wakana died, and how...

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Yes, everyone expected our poor florist to die. Haha, of course! Wakana will definitely be avenged!"

 **Wricano:** "It's fine! Not everyone has to review, of course~ I'm glad I'm portraying Misaki to your liking, and please tell me if you want me to improve more on her character if she so happens to be written off. I'm glad you seemed surprised about how Wakana died! Haha, well, Watari does not seem to be a trustworthy person to both the characters and the readers here~ One can only wonder. Hopefully, I hope you enjoy this chapter too!"

 **ToonGuy:** "Haha, well, I'm glad you try not to spoil yourself! Glad you enjoyed Masako's little screentime there. Watari will always be smug, so let's hope you'll just hate him from now on XD Group peace in this story truly is fragile. Glad you enjoyed the FTEs! Well, there goes Wakana. Let's see what happens in this chapter~"

 **PoisonBanana:** "I know right?! Nobody could've ever figured that out! Well, let us see if you have an idea on who the murderer is after this chapter. Hope you'll enjoy this chapter!"

 **liammarklh88:** "Yes, I'm seeing that everyone is not surprised over her death, but how she died XD I don't know whether to be happy or not about that. Well, let us see if Akio even is a murderer or if Watari's just trolling with us all. I'm glad I did your Kyatchi justice! He is a good boy for sure, and so is our Ultimate Butler! I like how you love Watari so far XD Akio is horrible at saving Wakana, he needs to die for that. Hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!"

 **Shyjoker:** "Is that meant to signify you killing me?"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Oh god, another long review XD I always miss errors no matter what, huh? I hate myself. Nice thoughts though, all in all. Watari certainly is someone whom we should look after. Tomoyo is a genuinely sympathetic character, so of course she'd be sympathetic here~ Yes, Blanchard's little suggestion makes sense with his FTE. Kyatchi's was fun overall, and glad you know more about Decebel! Akio does try his best to come off as innocent, so yeah. Everyone misses our little florist, and hopefully you'll solve the murder from the investigation alone XD Nice thoughts, let's see if you're right!"

 **mayurie:** "Well, welcome to this story, my dear wifey XD Oops, and sorry about us spoiling you with Wakana dying. You don't need to worry about reading everything in one day. Just take your time. You have life, after all! Well, I always love reading a review from you, so seeing your thoughts on the characters makes me giddy! Your thoughts on each character are interesting, and I love how you quickly analyze them XD Darn FanFiction seems to hate you sending out long reviews."

 **PainX65:** "Very kinky, my boy."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Everyone seems so sad about Wakana dying XD How despair-inducing. Yup, Akio's our prime suspect for sure. Oh, no, it's not. If it is though, then woah 0.0"

 **Meta King:** "Welp, Yume's guilty of that then XD"

* * *

Static was heard. An announcement was playing throughout the school building.

"Ahem! Well, bastards, since the library's soundproof, I wanna hurry this up... Report to the library! There's something special in there."

The announcement was now gone, and it was silent.

Well, it was silent for a few seconds, but then door opened.

"W-Wakana?! Oh my god!"

It was Tomoyo who came in running first. Her hands were over her hands, eyes widened. Her entire body was shaking.

Akio held his breath. He couldn't bear to look at her.

Footsteps came rushing into the scene.

With more footsteps came more despair and distress.

"W-what is this?!" Ayako took a step back, stumbling to the ground. Her eyes were immediately watering with tears. Sobs escaped her lips. "Wakana... Why...?"

Everyone was rushing into the room.

Akio could hear the despair in everyone's voices. Those looks of pure despair were rotten to their core. They were petrified beyond belief.

"What the hell happened here?!" Kiyoko was running to Wakana. Her face was pale as she noticed the missing limbs from Wakana's body. She shuddered, then her eyes widening. She whipped her head back, now glaring at Akio. "Did you do this?"

Akio shook his head. He stood up as he noticed Kiyoko's piercing glare. "Of course I didn't! I-I just saw her like this!"

"Somebody finally bites the dust..." Kyatchi clicked under his tongue, eyeing Wakana. His expression was dark. He was leaning against the wall, close to the doors. "That's pretty insane, even more so than what people see in those war movies."

Ayako looked offended by this, eyes shooting up at the juggler. "N-not right now, Kyatchi!"

"I know." Kyatchi stared intensely at the short woman. "I just… didn't actually expect this."

"Woah..." Misaki was unable to say anything, eyes rapidly blinking. It was unknown if she was in utter awe or disarray, but she quickly ran over to Wakana, checking her pulse. She was still, then shaking her head. "She's… gone."

"Master Wakana..." Blanchard looked saddened at the sight. He bowed his head down. "May your soul rest in peace."

The eyepatch was switched. Viorel looked concerned as well. "What a brutal way to die. She died and left here as if she were an exhibition."

"Someone actually died..." Yume was staring blankly at the corpse. Her expression was conflicted in a mixture of emotions- those of pure confusion, sadness, and possibly, anger.

"I can't believe it." Keishi was murmuring to himself. He was standing away from the door, a few feet away from the library. "This is... This is all my fault."

"Not again, not again, not again…" Masako was pale. Her entire face was riddled with tears. Her lips were quivering and her body was shaking. She fell to her feet, shaking her head. "W-Wakana..."

Shinjimae was hugging onto Saki tightly. He was most likely sobbing in Saki's fur, his breathing shallow alongside his shoulders moving up and down. The poor dog was staring at the bloody scene.

"Wakana..." Hitomu was petrified. Guilt was written all over his face, but after a moment he quickly shook his head. He immediately ran over to Akio, comforting him. "Are you alright?"

Akio shook his head. "Of course not... This is horrible..."

Horrible, indeed it was. Everyone was unable to say anything. Their entire faces were riddled in discomfort, tears and sobs escaping others. No one was able to say anything to brighten the mood. There was nothing to be said.

"So, it was Wakana who died."

Akio looked back.

There was Watari, the detective leaning against the door frame.

"Watari!" Akio was glaring at the man. He was furious, especially after noticing the lack of care in the detective's face. "Are you the one who did this?"

"Me?" Watari blinked for a moment. He then smirked, waving his hand about. "You flatter me, Aki, but I am not capable of pulling off such a brutal murder. I supposed I should've expected you would say that though, my little murderer. Already pulling out the scapegoat card, hm?"

"What?!" The actor was disgusted beyond belief. "Why would I be the one who killed her?!"

Watari chuckled. "Obviously, because you are a murderer."

Akio frowned. He was about ready to grab the man into a chokehold when a smoke of air escaped the room. The air went into the man's nostrils, and he coughed. A moment passed. There was a clattering sound from above, and soon the smoke of white air disappeared.

It disappeared, and suddenly Monokuma was in the middle of the room.

"Yo!"

Tomoyo jumped back. "M-Monokuma?!"

"Finally!" Monokuma was grinning happily at the scene, his direction pinpointed at Wakana. He was eyeing the bloody scene from top to bottom. "We got a goddamn murder! It's also pretty brutal as well, so nice!"

"Why're you here?" Kyatchi asked, eyeing the bear strangely. "Are you to wallow in your glory of someone dying?"

"Nope, not only that, but to explain to you all about the next part about murders and the like!"

"The next part...?" Keishi looked worried. "What else can there be after murder?"

Monokuma laughed, excited as a child. "Well, my dear Keishi, obviously the trial comes next!"

"What?" Blanchard was curious. "What do you mean by that?"

The bear grinned, throwing his paws over his mouth. "I'm so glad I didn't tell you guys. This will be so despair-inducing, even for the murderer!"

"Trial..." Watari thought for a moment, then grinning. An amused expression escaped his face. His eyes were staring down at the bear, glittering. "I see. I suppose, from what you said, that that there will be a trial to figure out who the murderer is to Wakana's case, right?"

"Correct!" Monokuma whistled loudly. He didn't care if the Ultimates flinched by his obnoxious noises. "We will first hold an investigation, and then afterwards a trial will be conducted for you all to solve Wakana's case and find her killer!"

"W-what?" Tomoyo was shocked. "You never told us this. You expect us to figure out who killed her... What if we can't figure out who killed her?"

Monokuma grinned. "A wise question! Don't worry about it. Punishment comes for everyone but the blackened. If you were to find the blackened, then only the blackened will be punished! It's either one or the other. There's no escaping punishment for death."

"You really are toying with our lives," Yume mused, shaking her head.

"He always toys with us." Kyatchi shook his head, disappointed. "He's not a circus bear for nothing."

Keishi bit into his lips, averting his gaze. "Why…?"

Shinjimae was shaking. "W-what sort of punishment though? W-what if we don't participate in the trial?"

The bear rolled his eyes. "Worry about that when we get to the trial, alright? I don't want to ruin the suspense here."

Everyone was silent.

"Alright!" Monokuma raised his paws up. "So first off you guys will do an investigation! Figure out who killed Wakana and get some evidence to back up that claim because obviously- y'know- the killer will try to refute you."

Hitomu looked sadly at the florist. It was such a horrible sight. "Evidence on who killed Wakana..."

"Yup, so good luck! Oh, and I will also be helping you guys out in a bit. I'll send you guys the case file for Wakana's death..." Monokuma took out a smaller MonoPad. He began typing rapidly, but then smashed it. "... right now!"

It was instant. Notifications rang throughout the room.

Akio frowned. He slowly reached into his MonoPad and booted it on. There, he was sent straight into the menu bar, then finding an application that said 'TB' with now a red dot next to it. He pressed it.

There, Akio found himself eyeing a game-like screen.

On the left side was a item list, on the top holding pink-labeled numbers '1/ 12'. Next down was an item that said 'Case File #001', but afterwards down to the thirteenth slot there was nothing, only '?' to be seen.

Akio silently clicked to the Case File, and instantly he found himself eyeing the right side of the screen. There was a picture of Wakana's corpse on the right top, and on the bottom were words detailing her death.

* * *

 **Case File #001**

 **Summary: Wakana had died in the library about 12:34 AM from being choked by a knotted rope. Her hands and feet have been torn apart from her body, and an additional injury would be her chest having been opened with a flower stabbed inside of it. These injuries have came after the murder.**

* * *

Akio looked over to Monokuma. "Can we really trust you with this information though?"

"Hey, I'm a fair bear." Monokuma frowned, glaring at the actor. "Don't accuse me of being an unfair bear when I gave you that information!"

"Right..." Masako looked worriedly at the bear. "Uh, t-thanks?"

"No problemo!" The overseer grinned widely. "Oh, and also, I'll give you all some additional rules so you won't question it later in the trial!"

Another notification rang throughout the room.

Akio frowned. He swiped over to the rules, now finding himself eyeing an additional set of rules.

 **[Rule 6: Once someone dies, then an investigation and class trial will commence. Students will all be participating in these events in order to figure out who the blackened is.**

 **Rule 7: The investigation will always start before a class trial. Students will always be given a Case File, provided by Monokuma.**

 **Rule 8: In a class trial, the students will be figuring out who is the blackened. During this, all the Ultimates will have to vote on who murdered the victim. Not voting is prohibited.**

 **Rule 9: If the students vote for the blackened, then only the blackened will be punished. If the students vote for someone else, then everyone but the blackened will be punished.**

 **Rule 10: Additional rules will be added when necessary.]**

Akio read through the rules with a frown. He was about to speak, however someone cut him off, speaking instead.

"Right, you did mention that killing will result in a class trial…" Kiyoko was eyeing the MonoPad for a moment, then looking back at the bear. "We didn't pay too much attention to it and almost forgot about it because we didn't for… this to happen."

"That's right." Tomoyo was saddened. She looked over to the dead body. "Wakana…"

"Yup, so it's your fault!" Monokuma laughed, wallowing in his glory. "Then again, I guess you guys don't want to think about shit on murder! Well, someone's dead now and you all have to participate in one, so too bad!"

"Stop laughing!" Ayako was in tears. "This isn't funny!"

The bear rolled his eyes. "Well, bitch, it is to me! It's funny to see you all hoping for the best, then having despair fuck you right up just like that! Seriously, don't you guys know how life is cruel already? You've been kidnapped and trapped here for example!"

Kiyoko pursed her lips, glaring intensely at Monokuma. "He's mocking us…"

"Of course he is." Watari smirked. "He does not feel pressured in the slightest bit because he has control over what we do. We're at his mercy, and that's why he is confident in mocking us."

Monokuma frowned, now suddenly stopping in his tracks. "So, you think I won't mock you guys if I didn't hold you guys in control?"

"It'd be nice," Kyatchi mused from the background, sighing. He was obviously disappointed with what he saw.

Yume shook her head. "He wouldn't bother trying anyways."

Hitomu looked annoyed at this, but turned over to Misaki. The woman was still observing Wakana. "Is what Monokuma wrote in the file accurate?"

Misaki nodded. She looked back to the cat keeper. "It is. She definitely died from having been choked. The burns around her neck signifies that a rope had choked her."

"Geez, you guys really just asked someone else?!" Monokuma groaned. "Guys, I told you all that I'm a fair bear!"

"Like we can trust that," Akio murmured underneath his breath. He was rolling his eyes.

"Well, nonetheless…" Watari was now turned to the overseer. "How much time do we have with investigating the crime scene?"

"Right." Kiyoko looked disgustingly at the bear. "If he limits us so harshly, then we'd have no chance of winning."

Ayako wiped her tears, sniffling. "A class trial…"

Monokuma threw the group a thumbs-up. A joyful look was on his face, complete with an obnoxious smile. "Of course I won't do that! I'll only bring forth the class trial if you guys got all the evidence needed to solve the case. I'm not that cruel. If you guys have all the truth bullets needed, then I'll announce where to meet for the trial. Okay?"

"I-I guess…" Masako was fidgeting about in place. "T-this is horrible…"

"Uhuh, uhuh, yeah, whatever." Monokuma scratched his head for a moment. He then stopped and walked over to the door. He was about an inch away from escaping, the bear turning around to eye the group. "Well! Anyways, I'll leave you guys to it! Tata, my babies!"

And Monokuma instantly ran away. He was nowhere to be seen now.

Everyone was silent. No one knew what to say.

A moment passed.

"I suppose we should investigate now?"

Watari grinned at the group. He was unfazed by this entire situation, instead walking over to Misaki and now observing Wakana's body. He was now eyeing the body.

Akio frowned. His heart was clenching. He couldn't even bear to think.

Wakana Takane had died, and he didn't know why.

It was frustrating. It was heartbreaking.

Akio hated it. He hated it so much that he bit into his lips until they bled crimson. Anger washed over his face. Disgust was entirely warping inside of his head. He hated it.

 _Why did Wakana have to die? Who would be that stupid to kill her? Why? Why?!_

The actor grabbed at his chest. He was gritting his teeth.

 _Whoever killed Wakana will pay for this. I'll make goddamn sure of it._

Akio was glaring at his feet. His thoughts were circling around and around. It was a continuous cycle of his disgust and hatred. He didn't even return to reality until a hand had been grabbing ahold of his shoulder.

"Blaise."

The actor looked back. He was eyeing Hitomu.

The cat keeper was looking worriedly at him. Even Kazue and Reiji were worried as well, the two cats moving over to rub themselves against Akio. "Please don't fret," the cat keeper began, showing a small smile, "we'll definitely find out who killed Wakana. Let's keep our hopes up."

"Y-yeah." Akio nodded his head quickly. He didn't want the man to notice the vengeful look that almost took over his face. "Right."

"W-why even talk to him?" Ayako looked over to Hitomu. She was continuing to rub her eyes. "I-isn't he a murderer?"

"You're still on about that?" The actor was shocked, frowning. "I'm not the one who killed Wakana, if that's what you were thinking. I'd never kill her."

"That's what they all say," Keishi murmured underneath his breath, sighing. He just seemed disappointed with everything, eyes saddening as he looked back at Wakana.

Tomoyo pursed her lips. "Let's not discuss who's the murderer yet. We should investigate."

Masako nodded her head rapidly, tears spilling from her eyes. "W-what should we start first with though?"

"The body." Kyatchi pointed over to where Watari and Misaki were. "Wakana's dead body, that is."

Yume sighed. "Poor Wakana."

Akio held his breath. As much as he hated to look at Wakana's corpse again, he had no choice. He wanted to figure out who killed her, after all. He wanted to avenge the poor woman's death.

The actor walked over to Wakana's body. He flinched. The sight of her missing limbs and her bloodshot eyes scarred him. It was such a horrible sight that he almost threw up from just seeing her horrified expression- it was obvious that she wanted to scream for help.

 _I'm sorry, Wakana._

Akio sighed. Though queasy, he began to observe the woman's body more closely. He first looked over to what he noticed instantly- the flower.

The flower which had been stabbed into Wakana was that of a purple morning glory. A single flower that was still blooming with life, almost blossoming from Wakana. It was as if the poor florist was the seed that planted this beauty. A sacrifice, and a horrendous one.

The flower had been stabbed into a deep, long wound. It was a horrible wound with blood soaking the woman's torn clothes.

"Ugh…" The smell of crimson choked Akio. Even the sight of it made him gag. "Wakana…"

Misaki looked over to the brunette. Her face saddened as she stepped to the side, observing the wound. She frowned after a minute passed. Her gaze went back to Akio. "The wound's deep. I'd say about an inch deep. It'd have been a life-threatening wound if not for… well, the choking."

Akio shook his head. "Why though? Why does the killer need to make her look like this? Does it bring them fun?"

The surgeon's eyes widened. "I… I don't know. Murder is beyond my comprehension, Blaise. Hm, it looks like the killer stabbed Wakana with a knife. It's the same with her missing limbs."

"The murderer is most likely trying to make a statement." Watari's voice was indifferent. He was eyeing Akio in without a look of care. "This is obviously meant to taunt us. Most notably you if you weren't the killer."

Akio rolled his eyes.

"The murderer is meaning to taunt you for not being able to save Wakana." The detective shook his head, almost mockingly.

"That…" The actor growled. "That's stupid… Wakana's being treated so horribly…"

Watari shrugged. "Criminals do tend to overdo things. It's a case of adrenaline, pressure, and rush, my dear Aki."

Akio shook his head. He ignored the detective's words and continued to observe the body. He was now eyeing the hands and feet that were on the ground.

He held his breath, keeping himself from gagging. He did not want to lose it now.

Wakana's hands and feet were on the ground and were continuously bleeding, the puddle continuing to grow even more dense and thick. It was horrifying, and disgusting. It was just an awful sight.

Akio frowned, now eyeing the knife over the blood.

* * *

 **Knife**

 **Summary: This is your standard knife. Not too sharp, and not too dull or long. It is a regular knife that's covered in blood.**

* * *

 _Huh?_

In the midst of the puddle, the man seemed to have noticed something. It wasn't the knife though. It was something else.

Akio bent down to the ground. He was inches away from the puddle. He frowned, hesitating. A moment passed before he slowly reached over to the shiny object, picking it up with the tip of his fingers. He brought it over the air.

 _Duct tape…?_

Akio placed the blood duct tape to the ground. He was eyeing it carefully. It was a strand of duct tape that was about a mere inch long, just enough to create a small box.

 _What could this be used for?_

A notification rang. Akio quickly took out his MonoPad. The Truth Bullet application was flashing light, and once he clicked onto it he noticed the number on top- '2/12'.

 _I guess this is evidence… Hm…_

* * *

 **Duct Tape**

 **Summary: There is a strap of duct tape that's hidden underneath the puddle of blood lying around Wakana.**

* * *

Akio thought to himself for a moment. He wasn't sure of what to make of anything yet, and he seemed to have found everything he needed to find right now. There wasn't anything to be suspicious about on Wakana's body, and around her there seemed to be nothing left to observe.

 _I… I guess I have to look somewhere else then._

The actor sighed. He looked around the library for a moment, then eyeing the vase on the table. He frowned. His eyes glanced over to the morning glory that was stabbed into Wakana, then looking over back to the vase of flowers.

The flowers came in different shapes and forms. They were of different species and were in different colors. The actor wasn't sure whether or not the flower came from the vase.

"Curious about the flowers too?"

Akio found himself eyeing Blanchard. The butler was eyeing him curiously, all the more making the actor flustered. He nodded his head, meekly smiling. "Y-yeah, I am. Do you think that the flower stabbed into Wakana came from that vase?"

"It would be most likely," the butler said, nodding his head. "I do think that that is a possibility."

"It could come from somewhere else though." Viorel had the eyepatch switched. He was staring intensely at the vase, frowning. "Didn't Monokuma tell us that he was putting vases all over the school yesterday, Blanchard?"

The eyepatch switched. "Yes, he did. I believe that he told us that about twelve varying flowers would be inside of each vase, and in each room."

"Wait, really?" Akio's eyes widened.

Viorel scoffed. "Yes. He told us so yesterday when we were cleaning up the floors in this school."

"Really now…" Akio was now counting the number of flowers on the vase. A victorious smile crept on his lips. "Eleven. So the flower did come from here."

A notification rang.

* * *

 **Vase of Flowers**

 **Summary: Inside of the library were a vase of flowers, eleven to be seen. Monokuma, as stated from Viorel and Blanchard, said that he'll put vases of twelve flowers in each room. The reason is unknown.**

* * *

Akio frowned instantly.

 _Okay, I know that other than Wakana's poor… corpse are duct tape and the vase of flowers… but is that really useful?_

 _Is there anything else here that could be useful…?_

The actor thought to himself for a moment. He found himself eyeing the Ultimates inside of the room.

A sudden idea popped into his head.

 _I should talk to the others and see if any of them are suspicious._

Akio nodded to himself. It was a good idea, and a simple one. He looked back at the Ultimate Butler. "Hey, Blanchard, Viorel. I wanna ask you something."

It was Viorel. "What's wrong?"

"I was wondering if you guys had an alibi during this time period."

"Oh, I see." Viorel frowned. "Blanchard and I were, as we have always been doing, cleaning up the school. We were cleaning up this school after the nighttime announcement. Isn't that right, Blanchard?"

The eyepatch was switched. "Yes, Master Akio, Viorel is right. We were cleaning up the floors around here till the body discovery announcement sounded."

Viorel frowned. "A shame though. I don't think there's anyone else who can cover for us."

"What can be done." Blanchard sighed. "People are usually asleep after the nighttime announcement."

"I see…" Akio frowned. He wasn't exactly sure if the duo were lying or whatnot. "I guess I'll trust that."

Viorel snorted. "You better-"

"Quiet, Viorel."

* * *

 **Blanchard/Viorel's Chores**

 **Summary: The duo said that overnight they were cleaning around the school.**

* * *

Akio sighed, now watching Viorel and Blanchard argue.

 _Guess I'll go find the next person to talk to._

Then, the actor walked over to his next suspect.

It was Hitomu. The cat keeper was looking around the area, scanning in silence.

"Hey," the brunette greeted, heading over to Hitomu. "I want to talk to you for a bit. Is that cool?"

Hitomu's attention was grabbed instantly, the man turning his direction over to the actor. He nodded his head and smiled. "Of course. Please feel free to ask me anything. It is very much welcomed."

Akio smiled back. "Sweet! Uh, I just wanted to ask you about alibis and whatnot. I wanna know if you were with someone during the time Wakana was killed and if you know of any other clues that I might've missed here."

Hitomu was shocked. He was silent for a moment before smiling again. "Ah, I see. Of course, alibis are a must."

The actor chuckled. "Yeah, they are."

"Mhm." The cat keeper let out a tired sigh. "Well, I would say that I have an airtight alibi since the nighttime announcement. I was inside of Shinji's room to discuss about Saki and my cats. We were worried about why they were with us, so we were discussing about their needs and worries the whole night."

"Oh, I see." Akio nodded his head. "So you and Shinji are cleared."

Hitomu smiled. "I suppose so."

* * *

 **Hitomu and Shinjimae**

 **Summary: The duo were hanging together after the nighttime announcement inside of Shinjimae's room. They were discussing about how to let their pets live in peace in this school.**

* * *

Akio scratched his head. "Hm… Okay then! Well, do you notice anything strange or missing? Any clues?"

"Clues, hm." Hitomu cupped his chin. He thought for a moment, then nodding. Kazue and Reiji continued to nuzzle themselves against his feet. "Ah, yes, I did. In the kitchen I noticed that there was something gone, though I supposed that was the knife there… however, that isn't the case. I think that there is something else missing from the kitchen."

Akio frowned. "Really? Like what?"

"Not exactly sure. I apologize." The cat keeper sighed. "I would think that it might be another knife…? I know that something was missing because it is so noticeable to see it."

"I guess…"

* * *

 **Hitomu's Testimony**

 **Summary: Hitomu mentioned that inside of the kitchen seems to be missing something. He said that what was missing was not only the knife inside of the library, but something else. He doesn't know what though.**

* * *

Akio smiled. "Thank you though, Hitomu."

Hitomu nodded. "Of course. It's not a problem at all."

The actor watched Hitomu who now went back to concentrating, the cat keeper now thinking silently to himself. Akio decided to walk over to the next person, that person being Shinjimae.

"Are you okay?" The brunette asked. He noticed that the animal whisperer was still hiding himself in Saki's fur. "Shinji…?"

"I-I'm fine," the man said, speaking through sniffles and fur. "I-I'm just a bit teary, t-that's it. S-sorry to be a bother."

"That's fine. I know how you feel." Akio forced a small smile. "Is it okay if I ask you some questions though?"

Shinjimae nodded, slowly looking over to Akio. "T-that's okay."

The actor smiled. "Mhm! Alright, I just want to make sure… You were hanging out with Hitomu this whole night, correct?"

The animal whisperer's eyes widened, then he let out a small smile. "Y-yes, that's correct. We were talking about our animals…"

"Alright, just wanted to make sure." Akio chuckled. "Anyways, have you found any clues in this place?"

Shinjimae frowned. He eyed the man for a moment, but then nodded slowly. "Uh… F-From what I've heard, W-Watari seems to have something… I heard h-him murmuring to h-himself…"

"Watari…" Akio deadpanned. He knew it was to be expected. Watari was the Ultimate Detective after all, but he had a feeling that the shorter man would be unwilling to share much with him. Still, he had to try. He waved to Shinjimae. "Alright, I'll go ask him. Thanks."

Shinjimae smiled, stroking Saki's fur in the meantime. "Y-yes."

Akio grinned, but the moment he turned around he frowned. He honestly did not want to approach the detective.

 _Well, I have no choice, now do I?_

Akio sighed inwardly to himself. He headed over to Watari.

"Hey."

Watari perked up at the actor's voice. A smirk escaped his lips. "Yeah, what's wrong, Aki? Do you require my assistance?"

Akio frowned. He crossed his arms, suddenly finding himself overwhelmed with a snarky attitude. "Wow, I never knew you could read my mind. What are you, a psychic?"

Watari grinned. Amusement was running through his face. "Aki, you have quite a way with words. It's a shame your personality doesn't match how heavenly your face looks."

"Aw, that's a nice compliment." Akio grinned. "It's a shame that it's coming from you."

The detective laughed. "Cute. It's nice to see you getting more and more pissy as time passes on. You really do want to clear yourself of being a murderer, huh?"

Akio groaned. "This is why I didn't want to speak to you… Ugh, anyways, are you free? I need to ask you something."

The detective smirked. He spun around in place, winking at the actor. "I'm not free, I'm expensive."

Akio deadpanned. "A-anyways, Shinji told me that you were murmuring to yourself about something. Do you know something?"

"You think I don't?"

The man groaned. "What do you know, Watari? Would you care to explain it to me, or will you just be silent and let us fail the trial?"

"I can't do something like that, my poor Aki. What I say may be related to our needed truth bullets, after all." Watari chuckled to himself, amused. He was definitely entertained from how Akio was acting right now. "But, my fellow murderer, are you sure you want me to tell you this? You might know this yourself."

"I'm not a- ugh, just tell me what it is."

Watari clapped his hands together. "Will do! Honestly, I think anyone would've known what I was murmuring to himself anyways."

The detective chuckled, then pointing up to the ventilation.

"Do you see that?" He watched Akio who nodded. "The ventilation right there controls this room's temperature. If you were a little bookworm such as me, then you would've noticed that this room always gets cold around nighttime. However, today is not the case."

Watari then walked over to the stepladder. He moved over to the ventilation, then pointing to the thermostat. "The thermostat is set at the heater, and it rests at a comfortable sixty-five degrees. Normally the thermostat here would be set at the cooler and would be low to about seventy."

"Why though?" Akio asked, curious.

The detective smirked. "To keep those in the library awake. I suppose this is either because Monokuma wanted those in the library to read and only read, or that he wants to keep this room cold when morning rolls in. I don't exactly know why, but this room is always stuffy in the morning."

"I see…"

* * *

 **Ventilation**

 **Summary: Watari mentioned that during the library, about after the nighttime announcement, the temperature would drop to about seventy degrees. However, the library right at this time stands at the heater with about sixty-five degrees of hotness.**

* * *

Watari jumped down the stepladder. He crossed his arms, tilting his head. "So, my dear Aki, where's my little thanks?"

"Huh? O-oh, right." Akio cleared his throat. As much as he hated to admit it, Watari have helped him. "Thanks."

The detective smiled. "No problem."

Akio sighed, now watching the detective. The shorter man seemed about finished with the library and was about to leave, but he found himself bumping to Tomoyo. Akio now watched as the duo left together.

 _Hm…_ Akio tapped his foot on the ground. _I guess if the ventilation something to worry about, I should check it._

The actor walked over to the stepladder. He slowly made his way up the ladder, now looking over to the vent. He observed it silently.

The vent was big. It seemed like it could fit a whole person inside with ease. Certainly a powerful ventilation that will instantly cool or heaten up a room.

Akio smiled. He ran his hands over to the ventilation, his fingers gliding over the edges and through the blockage.

 _Huh?_

The actor frowned. His finger had ran into something off. It was a screw. There was a screw over the top right edge of the vent, sticking out in place. The actor eyed it for a moment, eyes then widening.

 _A screw's loose… What the hell?_

* * *

 **Loose Screw**

 **Summary: On the ventilation is a screw that is loose from the edge. There is no specific reason for why there is a screw loose though.**

* * *

Akio took a quick look at his MonoPad, scanning through his list of evidence.

 _Hm… looks like I have eight truth bullets… I need about three more, right? What am I missing? I know I need to ask the others for their alibis and all that, but clue-wise…_

The actor eyed the MonoPad for a moment. A sudden realization ran through his head.

 _Fuck, that's right! Maybe Wakana's MonoPad has something._

The brunette looked back at Wakana's body. He headed over to the woman, eyes widening as he realized that Misaki was holding a MonoPad in hand.

"Misaki," the actor called out, rushing to the surgeon. She eyed him curiously as he pointed to the device. "Is that your's?"

Misaki smiled, shaking her head. "Nope. This is Wakana's. From your expression, I think we have the same idea, huh! You want to check if the device has any clues."

"Yeah."

The surgeon chuckled. She handed the MonoPad to Akio. "Here, you can look through it. I didn't find anything too mindblowing though. Nothing Eureka-shouting worthy in my eyes."

"Right…"

Akio began looking over the MonoPad. He instantly clicked over to the chatroom.

There were a few messages from different people. Akio instantly noticed his, his name in bold. He frowned, noticing the last message. It pained him.

Other than his own message would be the group chatroom. It wasn't anything special, as Akio expected.

Hitomu also seemed to have messaged Wakana, but it obvious that the man wanted everyone to meet at the dinner table. It honestly made Akio sad to see that Hitomu's plans went in vain.

There also seemed to be another person who messaged Wakana. Akio frowned, clicking onto the message. Wakana seemed to have been the last person to message the person, and it was obvious from what Akio saw on screen.

 _It's… only one message…?_

Wakana had messaged Kiyoko, and it was definitely a cryptic message.

 _What the fuck?_

* * *

 **Wakana's MonoPad**

 **Summary: The MonoPad Wakana has opens directly to her chat messages, those being lastly of Kiyoko. Everything in the chat room was strangely deleted except for one that Wakana messaged, "I'm sorry". This message was sent in the afternoon, 2:36 PM.**

* * *

Akio looked over to Misaki. "Uh…"

The surgeon shook her head immediately, throwing her hands up. "Hey, don't accuse me! If anything, I should be crying that you're a murderer and that you were the one who murdered Wakana! I didn't delete or touch anything. It was like that when I saw it."

Akio looked doubtful, eyebrow raised.

Misaki sighed. "Look, you can't even delete or add anything to the MonoPad. Try it."

The actor nodded. He clicked over to the edit button, but nothing happened. The screen was the same. Akio frowned. He then clicked over to the 'Type Here' box, but nothing happened. There was no keypad. Nothing had happened.

"See! I told you!"

The brunette sighed. "Yeah, you're right."

Misaki happily held her chin up high. It was a victory to her.

Akio awkwardly smiled at the woman. He then sighed as a sudden thought ran through his head. "Ah, right. Misaki, do you know anything else pertaining to this case? Any testimonies or alibis or whatnot?"

"Oh." Misaki suddenly cupped her chin. She swayed back and forth, her lab coat swaying to the breeze as well. "Well, I got nothing at this moment. However… Hm, I remember Wakana telling me something, though I think you already know by now."

Akio frowned. "What is it?"

The surgeon laughed. "It's just about you and her meeting in the library. Nothing special. I think she told me around morning. I then told Ayako about this since she was looking for Wakana."

Akio frowned.

 _Ayako, huh? I see…_

"I see." The actor threw the woman a thumbs-up, winking. "Gotcha. Thanks."

* * *

 **Misaki's Testimony**

 **Summary: Misaki said that she bumped into Wakana earlier and learned that Wakana was meeting with Akio in the library. She then said that she told Ayako about this.**

* * *

Akio scanned the room, then immediately sighing.

 _I guess that means I'll have to ask Ayako later about this. She's not in here._

Akio then frowned.

 _What the hell am I missing? Is there something in this room that I'm missing? Am I supposed to talk to someone? Hm… Fuck, I can't falter here. I need to avenge Wakana's death._

Akio looked around the room for a second time. There was nothing to be seen. Everyone seemed to have left the scene alone for Shinjimae, Hitomu, and Misaki. He frowned.

 _I guess I'll have to go out and check._

The actor headed outside of the door. Immediately to the side he found Yume, the woman alone by her lonesome.

Akio raised a brow, turning to the woman. "Um, are you okay?"

Yume slowly looked over to the actor. She was leaning against the wall. "I'm fine. I'm just thinking."

"Right." The actor crossed his arms. "So, uh, do you have an alibi for what you were doing after the nighttime announcement? Any clues on this case?"

Yume frowned. She thought for a moment, then shaking her head. "I was alone the entire time in my room. I believe that I hold nothing noteworthy."

"Ah, I see."

It was silent.

Akio awkwardly scratched his head. "Well, thanks for the input. Bye."

Yume hummed her response.

The actor continued his pursuit. He looked around the area for a moment, then noticing the cafeteria. He squinted.

 _Right… Hitomu told me that something else was missing from the kitchen._

The actor quickly rushed over to the cafeteria. He slammed the door opened and was about to walk in when he noticed Tomoyo, the screenwriter speaking to Kiyoko. The two women looked over to Akio, and instantly the man saw the difference in their reactions.

Tomoyo looked relieved to have seen Akio. Kiyoko, on the other hand, looked more than annoyed.

"Hello, Blaise." The screenwriter shook Akio's hand. "Have you figured anything out about Wakana's death yet?"

Akio shook his head. "Not really…"

Kiyoko scoffed. "Of course you didn't. You're possibly the murderer."

Tomoyo gasped. "Kiyoko, please. We don't exactly know if he's guilty or not."

"But he's a murderer, is he not? Anyone here could be the murderer, but he seems the most likely. Besides, he was staying inside with Wakana, correct? He seems to have been the only one with her." The recreation worker sighed. "Nevermind that. Do you need anything?"

 _I seriously hate how she's blaming me when I'm close to Wakana… I'd never hurt her…_

"Right…" The actor sighed. Though as frustrated as he was, he didn't want to annoy the woman further with his attitude. Instead, he calmed himself and began to speak. "Any clues you two find? Or do you two have alibis after the nighttime announcement or whatnot?"

"Oh, yeah!" Tomoyo nodded her head rapidly. She pointed over to the trash can. There were a lot of wet tissues and dust. "This wasn't here this afternoon. The tissues also seem fairly damp still, so we concluded that these were recent."

Kiyoko hummed her approval. "Yes, I would say that these have been here for about a few hours. I'd estimate about after the nighttime announcement."

"Pretty suspicious."

Akio eyed the wet tissues and dust. He frowned as a notification rang.

* * *

 **Trash Can**

 **Summary: Inside of the cafeteria's trash can are wet tissues and dust. Kiyoko and Tomoyo concluded that these are fairly recent.**

* * *

The actor read the truth bullet for a moment. He then looked back to the two women. "So, do you two have any alibis-"

A sudden bell was rung.

"Ahem!"

A familiar, high-pitched voice. Suddenly, it was Monokuma who rang throughout the school.

"You guys have found all the truth bullets needed to solve the damn trial! Now hurry up and meet in the gymnasium! Not coming will result in punishment, so chop chop!"

The obnoxious voice disappeared.

Akio was in shock. "What?!"

 _I still didn't check the kitchen and ask everyone about their alibis!_

"I guess…" Tomoyo pursed her lips. Sweat trickled down her forehead. "I guess we're going to start with the class trial already."

Kiyoko huffed. "Well, I suppose we have no choice." She threw a glance to the actor before walking away. "It's obvious who killed her though…"

"W-wait! Kiyoko!"

Akio frowned. He watched the duo who left, silent in disgust.

 _Are people going to seriously suspect me of murdering Wakana or something? Tsk. This isn't good._

The actor held his breath. His heart was pounding.

 _I obviously didn't kill Wakana… I need to just tell them that and find the true culprit!_

 _Wakana… I'll make sure I avenge you. I will not let your case lie in the dirt. I will figure out who killed you and avenge you for sure!_

The actor held his chin up high, and began to walk.

An unsteady pace, but nonetheless a wannabe confident pace.

* * *

... And here is the end to this chapter! The trial will definitely be the part I will be most excited and terrified to write! I hope I will be able to excite you all with this, and hopefully you all have a better understanding of who killed Wakana! Well, hopefully you do, that is.

Of course, our truth bullets here may seem out of place and sudden... But well, it's vague for a purpose. Monokuma seems to do things at his own pace, and one could only wonder why he's helping the Ultimates to this extent.

Well, anyways, I'll see you all soon in the trial!


	9. Chapter 1 - Part 2, Part B

Hello, and welcome to the long-awaited trial! I don't have much to say here, so let's go straight into the trial (or reviews, whatever you prefer).

 **ToonGuy:** "Haha, yeah, it's nice to see Kyatchi care~ Yes, I love that sort of idea. That is the question to ask. Many reactions from many different characters! Well, let us see if you are right... Worrying, and hard to explain."

 **zephryr:** "Hooray! Trivia about Wakana. Honestly, I tend to have this strange thing where I come up with names that fit that personality or fate, even when I just thought of it on the fly... Nice to see it happened again! I always love to read your theories on these cases, and so seeing you discuss about what may have happened intrigues me! I can only hope that you are right. Hitomu needs a better explanation XD Ayako is the killer, hm? Well, it does make sense! Let's see if you are right though."

 **PainX65:** "I know it is kinky, my dude~"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Too many details to keep track of, and yes, Zeph is our Ultimate Analyzer. Hope you'll enjoy the trial!"

 **Shyjoker:** "H-how did you know that?! I never told you anything about where I live!"

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Haha, well, let's see if your initial thoughts or what everyone else said is correct... Yes!"

 **VioEli:** "Why are you here, my friend? Get out! Just kidding, but oh my gosh too many theories, I can't handle them! Your thoughts do prove interesting though... Well, of course, temperature is something to keep notice of, and it is nice to see that you're not going to doubt Blanchard and Ayako as killers... Haha, well, overthinking may be a good idea! Let us see if you are right, or not."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Well, hopefully it'll come together in the trial. Let's see if you're right on that... or not. I can't believe I made a grammatical mistake like that, I'm sorry! Overanalyzing can be a good thing. Technically, yeah, Akio's upset. Haha, your theory on the duct tape being the rope is certainly interesting! Good theory about the twelve flowers. I seriously wanna put that in TV Tropes XD Hm, yes, Kiyoko and Tomoyo's relationship is quite interesting! I like your list of potential suspects... Please roast me here."

 **liammarklh88:** "My poor meme girl. I'm glad I'm writing Kyatchi to your liking- I feel like I said this over three times already. Yes, good thoughts! I like seeing what you think all the time, and let us see if they are right or not... Haha, the butler cleaning is quite the cliche~ The message is definitely something people have been scratching their heads over I see XD Nice suspects! Nice to see someone else in the list other than Blanchard, Ayako, and Misaki!"

 **Meta King:** "Yes, of course! Yume is a human being, so she can react to stuff! I'm glad someone could tell if I was sleepy when writing or not XD Oh my gosh, and nice theory. I love your twist with things."

* * *

Akio rushed straight into the gymnasium, the doors having been opened and revealing everybody inside.

"Ooh, welcome to the party, Aki."

Akio frowned. He decided to ignore Watari's teases and looked over the room. Everybody but Monokuma was inside of the room. There was nothing suspicious to be seen at all. The gymnasium was as normal as it had looked beforehand.

The actor turned around to Tomoyo. "The class trial is supposed to be held here, right?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Yes, that's right… I don't see anything here though. Monokuma's not even here yet."

"Who knows? Maybe we'll sit down in a circle with our crisscross applesauce stances and discuss this." Kyatchi dryly smirked at the man, tugging at his bandannas. "Monokuma may as well have a limited budget. You know how generous the government is towards us civilians, right?"

Ayako worriedly fiddled with her fingers. She was not looking at anyone at all. "Uh, Monokuma is not a civilian."

"Maybe he is in a knockout version of Disneyworld," the juggler mused, rolling his eyes. "A horrible mascot of Mickey Mouse."

"Woah." Misaki's eyes lit up. She cupped her hands together, as if in prayer. "Maybe there's a person underneath Monokuma then?"

"Uh, I doubt it," Yume murmured.

"I'd be entertained with that idea," Kyatchi snorted, rolling his eyes.

Akio sighed. _I can't believe these guys are joking in this situation… I guess it's a defense mechanism though._

The actor's heart was racing. Despite Monokuma's lack of appearance, Akio found himself sweating. He was nervous.

 _How will this trial go anyways? In order to avenge Wakana and punish her killer… I need to know how to pin down who's guilty…_

Akio held his breath.

 _How though? How do I know who's guilty?_

The actor glanced over to Watari. The detective was amused, tapping his foot and humming in the air. He frowned.

 _Will Watari even help us? Maybe he'll lead us to the wrong path…_

 _Actually, he'll probably continue to pin me down as a murderer. I wouldn't be surprised if he does. People also seem to believe him. If they think I'm the killer…_

Akio gritted his teeth. It was disgusting. He just couldn't believe that people might suspect him of being the killer.

 _It's worse because I was the last person to be with Wakana._

Akio crossed his arms. A loud sigh escaped his lips, and it was loud because the person closest to him noticed.

"Are you alright?" It was Keishi. The Ultimate Survivor was eyeing him cautiously. "Actually, I shouldn't ask… We're in this situation…"

"N-no, it's fine!" Akio forced a chuckle, smiling. "How are you though? Are you alright?"

Keishi nodded, averting his gaze. "Yes. I just… I just feel bad about all of this."

"What? This isn't even your fault!" The actor frowned. "Why are you saying that? Because of your talent as the Ultimate Survivor or something?"

Keishi was silent. That was obviously the case.

Akio sighed. He worriedly crossed his arms, observing the man. "Your not some Ultimate Bad Luck or anything. This whole thing isn't your fault."

"The only fault that this whole thing would reside in would be Monokuma." Kiyoko looked over to the duo, leaning against the wall. "Maybe you too though."

"You really think I'm the murderer?" Akio clenched into his fists. "That's just-"

"Crazy, yeah, I hear ya!"

The ceiling rumbled, and then a crashing sound was heard. A tile on the ceiling broke, falling down which, well, carried someone alongside it. Monokuma fell straight to the middle of the ground, landing directly on his bosom.

"Fuck! That hurts!" Monokuma painfully stood up, rubbing his bottom. He stopped. He looked over to the group, then saluting them instantly. "Yo, bastards!"

Masako jumped. "M-Monokuma…?!"

"How dramatic," Kyatchi murmured, rolling his eyes. He continued to play idly with his bandannas.

The bear grinned. "Guess you guys came earlier than I did! Whoopsie daisies!" Monokuma bonked his head, slipping out his tongue. "Eheh!"

Ayako flinced at the sight. "Ew."

"So, where is the trial supposed to take place?" Hitomu asked, eyeing Monokuma. He stroked his cats' fur, noticing that the two animals were scowling at the overseer. "I cannot expect it to be here, correct?"

"It is here!" The bear stopped. A moment passed. Another moment passed. "Hey, I need a drumroll!"

It was silent.

"Fuck, wow. Rude." Monokuma shook his head sadly. "Anyways, yeah, the trial's gonna be held here… straight up into Hell."

"Hell?" Kiyoko rolled her eyes. "I'm not surprised, in all honesty."

Blanchard raised a brow. "Isn't Heaven above us though? Not Hell?"

Tomoyo tilted her head, cupping her chin. "We're going up from here then?"

"Is there like a secret elevator here or something?" Misaki perked up at this. She looked left and right, hopping in her movement. "Is this building actually some sort of FBI headquarters?"

"Doubt that," Watari said, smirking at the surgeon's way. "The government loves us Ultimates to death."

Blanchard hummed in acknowledgment. "The government was the one who labeled us as such in the first place."

Shinjimae nodded. "T-true…"

"Can we just get straight to this whole thing?" Akio groaned. He stared intensely at the bear. "Let's do this. I'm going to find Wakana's killer."

"Ooh, aren't you a confident little bean." Monokuma giggled. "I find that cute."

Akio was instantly grossed out.

Monokuma spun around the room. Suddenly, there was a remote control in his hands. A small remote that only had a big, flashing red button. "Alright, then let's get the show started! Woohoo, can I get a 'Huzzah'?!"

Masako awkwardly threw her hands up. "Huzzah…?"

"You actually listened to him?" Yume was shocked.

The button was pressed, and in an instant the entire room began to shake. It was rumbling, and the Ultimates were thrown off their balance. Gasps escaped the room and many have fallen.

The room began to skyrocket, the Ultimates and Monokuma being shot straight into the air. The entire gymnasium was flying into the air and through the ceilings which were opening automatically, bringing the cast straight into what Monokuma deemed as 'Hell'.

 _What the fuck?!_

Akio couldn't even manage a scream. He could hear the others crying and screaming around him, but honestly he couldn't do the same. He was just stunned by what was happening that once it ended he was still silent, frozen in place.

Everyone was scattered over the floor, gasping for air.

And, strangely enough, the gymnasium's entire appearance was changed. It was now changed into a more formal and court-like setting. A looming sense of despair residing in the room.

"T-that was scary…" Masako was shaking, her knees having collapsed. She was lying on the ground. "O-oh my god…"

"That was a nice distraction," Watari said, wiping the dust off from his clothes. He looked over to Monokuma and grinned. "Do I have the honor of knowing how you managed to do such a stunt like this?"

"Nope!" Monokuma cackled. "Glad you guys seem to enjoy it though! I worked on that mechanism for weeks! It cost me a fortune to change the gymnasium's setting into a courtroom. There goes my fucking paycheck!"

"You get paid?" Tomoyo found that hard to believe, eyes widening. She forced herself up from the ground. Her body was still shaking. "So this is a courtroom…"

"Wow, even the seating looks so refined…" Ayako was eyeing the scenery, in awe.

There were chairs that were placed down in the middle of the room, about fourteen in a circle. A small wooden desk was then in front of each chair. It was definitely a traditional look, if not for how on each desk were holding a huge, flat device on top of it. It was like a bigger size of a MonoPad, about the size of a laptop and instead black-and-white in color. The laptops were atop of the desks as if they were mocking a look of a computer lab.

The scenery of the room was entirely different from what the gymnasium looked like. The room was now that mocking of a government room, a dome of light on the ceiling in the middle, and then white walls all around. On the bottom was a comfortable, smooth dark blue carpet that covered the entire floor.

A tense, tenseful atmosphere.

Akio was silent. He then noticed the pedestal in the middle of all the chairs and seats. It was higher up, almost halfway to the ceiling, and was golden, obnoxiously sparkly. At the top of the pedestal stood a red royal chair, placed behind a few buttons that were seated on the pedestal. A few silver buttons that were shaped to those of jewels.

 _How obnoxious…_ The actor couldn't help but think that the chair belonged to the overseer himself.

"So this is the place where we hold the class trial…" Hitomu looked over to the laptops. A curious expression was written over his face. "Might I ask what are these for?"

Monokuma grinned. As expected, the bear jumped straight over to his royal chair. He was kicking his legs back and forth. "You see, honey, the laptops there are what you guys will use to process information and… other stuff. Mainly, those are used to vote for the culprit."

"Oh, I see." Kiyoko frowned. "But we have our MonoPads, don't we?"

The overseer's smile darkened. A mischievous glint flickered on his red eye. "The thing is here, you guys all have your MonoPads, but your chatrooms are still accessible. They aren't only if you died."

Shinjimae held his hands to his chest, tightly. Saki was sniffing at the ground, curious. "S-so you d-don't want anyone to chat o-one another while the trial happens…?"

"Yeah, that's technically the reason." Monokuma chuckled. He continued to kick his legs out. "I don't want you guys discussing shit in a trial, where everyone's supposed to participate. This place is where you guys are supposed to argue with each other and shit, not chat in the chatroom like little school girls."

Yume scoffed. "Rude."

"Anyways, the evidence you all gathered up are transferred into the laptops." Monokuma eyed the jewel-like buttons, then pressing the farthest left one. Suddenly, the laptops began to turn on, screen suddenly white and brightening. "You could say that MonoPads and laptops are connected, at least just for the evidence part. Once those are on-"

A spark escaped through the room. Akio looked over to his MonoPad. The power had suddenly turned off, and was now silent.

"-the MonoPads are no longer at work."

"That's quite a lot of work." Watari chuckled, eyeing his MonoPad. "What secret mechanism are you hiding from us? Is it truly only for the reasons you provided us?"

"Wow, you're so suspicious." Monokuma rolled his eyes, then sighing. He then clicked onto another button, now the white screens showcasing green bold letters. "Look over the laptops and spot your names. That will be where you're seated."

Everyone hesitated, but slowly began to move.

Akio walked around the room, then finding his name once he walked straight in the middle of the circle, at top. There it was, in bold green letters- 'Akio Fukui'. The actor frowned. He took an unsteady step over to his seat, then sitting down. He could see Yume to his left, then Misaki to his right.

If he had to point out who's in which seat, from clockwise at the top would be him, Yume, Hitomu, Ayako, Blanchard and Viorel, Tomoyo, Watari, Masako, Shinjimae, Wakana, Kyatchi, Kiyoko, Keishi, and Misaki.

Akio looked at the empty chair. That was obviously where Wakana would be.

 _Wakana…_

The brunette laid down his MonoPad to the side. He looked down at the laptop. Confused, the man was unsure of whether to click onto a key or not, but eventually forfeited and pressed onto the spacebar.

The bold letters disappeared. The white screen disappeared.

Now, Akio was brought straight into a menu screen. There, he saw about three applications in the black background, stapled in different red shapes. Circle, square, and triangle.

The circle had the words 'Truth Bullets' in the bottom, in a small white font. The square had the words 'Voting Time', and, at last, the triangle had the words 'Extra Shit'.

"What?" Viorel looked over to the bear, standing in the middle east side of the room. He was next to Ayako and Tomoyo, left and right. "What is 'Extra Shi-'"

"Shush, Viorel." Blanchard quickly switched the eyepatch. "Monokuma, please explain."

"Right." Monokuma threw the butler a thumbs-up, cackling. "Don't worry about it! That's just the place you go to simulate how something occurred or whatnot."

Kyatchi frowned, suddenly suspicious. "That's only one thing."

"Oh, shut it, you fucking suicidal shit!" Monokuma threw the man the middle finger. He then sighed, crossing his tiny legs. "Well, anyways, my little shits, do your goddamn class trial. If you guys need to present a truth bullet or whatnot just click onto that specific piece of evidence."

Akio raised a brow. He clicked to the circle, now suddenly brought to his list of truth bullets, information and pictures provided.

 _Do I even have my truth bullets?_

Akio quickly read through the list.

* * *

 **List of Truth Bullets**

 **Case File #001 -** Wakana had died in the library about 12:34 AM from being choked by a knotted rope. Her hands and feet have been torn apart from her body, and an additional injury would be her chest having been opened with a flower stabbed inside of it. These injuries have came after the murder.

 **Knife -** This is your standard knife. Not too sharp, and not too dull or long. It is a regular knife that's covered in blood.

 **Duct Tape -** There is a strap of duct tape that's hidden underneath the puddle of blood lying around Wakana.

 **Vase of Flowers -** Inside of the library were a vase of flowers, eleven to be seen. Monokuma, as stated from Viorel and Blanchard, said that he'll put vases of twelve flowers in each room. The reason is unknown.

 **Blanchard/Viorel's Chores -** The duo said that overnight they were cleaning around the school.

 **Hitomu and Shinjimae -** The duo were hanging together after the nighttime announcement inside of Shinjimae's room. They were discussing about how to let their pets live in peace in this school.

 **Hitomu's Testimony -** Hitomu mentioned that inside of the kitchen seems to be missing something. He said that what was missing was not only the knife inside of the library, but something else. He doesn't know what though.

 **Ventilation -** Watari mentioned that during the library, about after the nighttime announcement, the temperature would drop to about seventy degrees. However, the library right at this time stands at the heater with about sixty-five degrees of hotness.

 **Loose Screw -** On the ventilation is a screw that is loose from the edge. There is no specific reason for why there is a screw loose though.

 **Wakana's MonoPad -** The MonoPad Wakana has opens directly to her chat messages, those being lastly of Kiyoko. Everything in the chat room was strangely deleted except for one that Wakana messaged, "I'm sorry". This message was sent in the afternoon, 2:36 PM.

 **Misaki's Testimony -** Misaki said that she bumped into Wakana earlier and learned that Wakana was meeting with Akio in the library. She then said that she told Ayako about this.

 **Trash Can -** Inside of the cafeteria's trash can are wet tissues and dust. Kiyoko and Tomoyo concluded that these are fairly recent.

* * *

 _Okay… I have all my truth bullets… Let's see…_

He clicked onto the Case File. There was an arrow on the bottom of the screen, flashing red with the words 'Send Now'. Akio nodded as he set the laptop aside to a more comfortable position.

 _I see… So it's gonna work like this…_

Akio held his breath, forcing back a sigh. His heart was pounding. He was beginning to sweat. He looked around the room. Everyone seemed to respond the same way, eyes glinting in worry and faces paling.

 _It's alright._ Akio grabbed at his chest. _You can do this. You need to punish Wakana's killer for killing her. You need to avenge Wakana. Her killer will be brought into justice, and I need to make sure of it._

"Alright, I guess we're starting, right?" Akio took the lead, looking over to the group. "Before we start throwing accusations that I'm the damn killer or whatnot, let's go over what we know to make sure we're all on the same page."

Hitomu's eyes widened, but he nodded. A smile crept to his lips. "That's a good idea. It would be good to know if we're all on the same page or not."

"I still think Blaise did it though…" Kiyoko mumbled, grunting.

"Obviously, because he is a murderer." Watari chuckled, amused. "But I think we should entertain our little killer for a bit, don't you think? Let's play along for now."

Ayako worriedly looked around the room. "H-hopefully we can do this!"

Masako nodded. "L-let's talk about it then…"

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #001 | Trash Can | Wakana's MonoPad**

 **Tomoyo:** So, we're talking about what we should know so far…

 **Hitomu:** Wakana was _**the one who died**_ , for starters.

 **Ayako:** Poor Wakana! She was _**choked to death**_ …

 **Ayako:** And then got her limbs torn off! It's too cruel.

 **Watari:** I'm surprised someone had the guts to kill her, nonetheless _**cut off her limbs before death**_.

 **Kyatchi:** It is quite the torturous sight. It's painful to my dark soul.

 **Kiyoko:** You're still joking in a place like this?

 **Kyatchi:** Maybe, maybe not.

 **Yume:** Wakana died _**around midnight**_.

 **Masako:** A-and a flower was _**s-stabbed into her chest**_ as well… T-too cruel!

 **Shinjimae:** W-Wakana doesn't d-deserve this…

 **Misaki:** Note that Wakana _**died exactly around 12:34 AM**_.

 **Kiyoko:** … Did we even have to discuss this, Blaise?

 **Akio:** We do.

 **Akio:** _Well, actually, we don't, but I knew that he'd try to mess us up sooner or later. I'll just point him out to make people doubt him._

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Case File #001-**

 **Akio:** No, that's wrong!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Watari grinned, an amused expression escaping his face. He turned to eye the actor. "Aw, what's wrong now? Are you trying to be an attorney now, my dear murderer?"

The actor scoffed. "Are you trying to mess with us on purpose? I'm sure you know fully well what happened to Wakana, especially considering how she died. Monokuma even said so himself."

Watari laughed. "Alright then, Aki. What did I mess up on?"

"Obviously, the injuries done to Wakana." Akio clenched into his fists, slamming them on the table. "Didn't you read the Case File?"

"Case File?" Watari feigned a look of ignorance. He looked down to his laptop, then looking back up to Akio. "I'm sorry, my dear Aki, but I can't click onto anything here! My laptop's frozen."

"What are you talking about?" Akio glanced down at his laptop. He moved the cursor around. "It's working fine. Stop messing with me."

"Uh, actually…" Akio looked to his right, eyeing Misaki who was shaking her head. "Mine's frozen too."

"What?"

Tomoyo nodded her head. "Mine too."

"Oh, shit, right!" Monokuma quickly jumped into the conversation, raising his paws up. "I forgot to tell you all this because I hate explanations, but like… Yeah! Once someone makes some statement and tries to explain shit, then only they can use their laptop! Everything else will freeze until that person sends their evidence out and shows you their explanation and shit."

"That's… pretty flawed," Keishi murmured underneath his breath.

"Flawed? Bitch, I did that on purpose!" Monokuma groaned. "Anyways, if someone wants to make a claim or statement regarding the trial and will explain it, then they only have access to the laptop till they're done with shit. It only works in debates though and if everyone's willing to listen to you."

Shinjimae was baffled. "I… I see…"

"So, anyways, my dear Aki…" Watari threw the actor a sweet smile. A sweet smile that was superficial and lacking. "Please do bring me some good evidence to back up your claim."

"Sure." Akio rolled his eyes. He moved the cursor over to the Case File, then clicking over to the arrow on the bottom.

A second passed. "Oh!" Misaki's eyes widened. "The case file."

"So you're showing us the case file." Kiyoko crossed her arms, sighing. "I think it's obvious Watari's messing with you regardless."

"He is," Akio said, annoyed, "but it's good to know that he's not taking this seriously."

Watari gasped. "Rude, Aki."

The brunette groaned. "Anyways, it says exactly in there that Wakana's… injuries came right after she died."

The detective grinned. Amused, he began to wink at the man. "So, then, why were Wakana's injuries made after the murder? What is the purpose of beating her corpse up?"

Masako frowned. "W-Wakana…"

Akio clenched into his fists. The answer was obvious.

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: What was the reason for Wakana's injuries?**

 **[A. The murderer wanted to spite Akio.]**

 **B. The murderer wanted to mess around.**

 **C. The injuries were an accident.**

 **D. Wakana has always been like that.**

 **Akio:** _That's the answer!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

The actor glared at Watari, annoyed. "Because they wanted to spite me. They're poking fun at me. Because I didn't save Wakana…"

Tomoyo pursed her lips. "That's horrible."

"That's…" Shinjimae paled. "That's t-too cruel. J-just to make fun of you?"

Watari clapped his hands together. "Aw, close enough!"

Akio's eyes widened. "What? Is that not it?"

"No, that's part of the reason." The detective then crossed his arms, sighing. "Dear Aki, my dear ol' murderer, do you know what killers do?"

Viorel raised a brow. "Now you're willing to help?"

"Aw, what? Can I not have fun?" Watari chuckled. "This is, however, a simple detail that anyone could've seen. Do you know how police officers and forensics could conclude that a series of different murders belonged to one specific killer?"

Hitomu thought to himself for a moment. He then snapped his fingers. "Ah, serial killers tend to have a pattern of who they kill. That, or they always make their names known by doing something unique from other killers."

"Correct." Watari smiled, pleased by what he heard. "Serial killers will always have a pattern. Whether that'd be how they kill, who they kill, or the things left behind- there is always a pattern."

"So…" Kiyoko raised a brow. "What are you trying to say?"

Misaki raised her hand. "Oh! I think I know what you're saying, Watari."

Watari whistled, interested as he eyed the surgeon. He held his hands out. "Yes? Please do tell."

The surgeon nodded, smiling. "Alright! I think Watari is trying to say that the killer purposely inflicted those injuries onto Wakana because they wanted to impersonate you as the murderer. They want to make people believe that you killed her, given that Wakana's murder obviously looked arranged as such."

Watari's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh!" His voice became high, the detective feigning happiness. "That's correct! Good job, Misaki!"

"That makes sense." Tomoyo crossed her arms, frowning. "They wanted to make it look like Blaise killed her. Since people assume he's a killer, then they'd believe he did it because the murder looks so… surreal."

Kiyoko scoffed. "We're going to assume he's not the killer then?"

"I don't know." Ayako fiddled with her fingers. "I don't know what to believe… I just want us to solve Wakana's murder…"

Masako nodded her head rapidly. "Me too… I-I don't know Wakana as well as y-you guys did, but… she doesn't d-deserve this!"

Blanchard sighed, shaking his head. "No one deserves to die, but sadly that isn't how our world works."

"A shame." Yume pursed her lips.

Keishi averted his gaze. "And someone here murdered her…"

Ayako bit into her lips. "Watari, are you even going to help us though?"

Watari laughed. "Like of course I will, however I prefer to let you all handle this."

Akio rolled his eyes. He honestly doubted it.

"Do you even know who the murderer is?" Kiyoko asked, baffled.

The detective grinned. "Who knows?"

Shinjimae threw a baffled look at the shorter man. "Uh…"

"So, we know what happened to Wakana, correct?" Hitomu looked over the room. He decided it would be best to ignore Watari at the moment. "I think we should now talk about who could've done it and how this all happened."

Kyatchi nodded. "Hopefully it's not our obvious killer Blaise."

Akio threw the juggler a look. "Hey!"

The juggler laughed, shrugging with a sneer. "I mean, it would be a bit too obvious and bland of a plot twist, would it not?"

The brunette deadpanned, then rolling his eyes. He decided not to bother anymore with the juggler.

"So…" Tomoyo furrowed her brows. "We're going to talk about who could've killed Wakana…"

Ayako held her breath. "If not Blaise, then who?"

"Most of us were alone, right?" Blanchard asked, eyeing the group. "I assume most of us were alone in our rooms after the nighttime announcement."

Yume nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

Kyatchi frowned. He pointed a finger up, wagging it to and fro. "The real question is- was anyone not alone?"

Shinjimae shyly raised his hand. "A-ah, H-Hitomu and I were inside of m-my room."

"Really?" Misaki looked intrigued. She leaned forward. "Please tell me what happened, in full detail."

Watari smirked, amused. "Are we possibly suggesting something here, my dear Shinji? I am quite shocked at these turn of events. It's a bit too sudden."

Shinjimae immediately turned red from embarrassment.

Hitomu sighed, quickly jumping into the fray. "Of course it isn't what you two may be thinking. We were merely inside of his room to discuss about what we should do with our pets. We were wondering why they were trapped in here with us to begin with."

"Y-you do bring up a good point with that." Masako held her breath, expression full of anxiety. "I-I wonder why, huh."

"Well, we aren't here to discuss that at the moment." Kiyoko sighed, moving her bangs over her ear. "I'm guessing Hitomu and Shinji are in the clear, right?"

Shinjimae looked hopeful at those words. He smiled once he noticed everyone nodding their heads, expressing approval.

"Okay…" Akio spoke slowly, exaggerating on his words. "But, that doesn't actually bring us forward. The rest of us are still suspect."

"Of course. Wakana's murder happened during nighttime." Watari tapped his fingers on the desk, chuckling. "People are up when the Sun is up. It's that simple, Aki."

"Can you stop calling me Aki?" The actor glared at the shorter man. "Oh, and shut it, please."

"Rude." Watari sighed, though it was obvious he didn't care. Akio could tell that from just how Watari threw his hands up, mocking surrender. "I'll give in then."

Akio rolled his eyes. He looked back at the group. "So, is there anyone else who has an alibi?"

Ayako shook her head sadly. "Not really…"

"I guess… Hitomu and Shinji are the only ones with an alibi then." Kiyoko looked bemused at this fact. "So we are going to base off on who's the killer from about… eleven of us."

Keishi sighed. "That's true."

Hitomu smiled reassuringly at the group. "Well, we just need to find out who's suspicious then."

"I guess we'll have to base things from what everyone says." Akio sighed, scratching his head. "Hopefully you guys aren't going to lie about your whereabouts."

Kiyoko scoffed. Tomoyo couldn't help but worry, eyeing Akio. Everyone else were hesitant as well.

 _I just need to show them that I'm not the murderer._ Akio held his breath. _But who could've been the one to kill Wakana?_

 _Hm, I guess I'll have to see what the others say about their testimonies._

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Hitomu and Shinjimae | Misaki's Testimony | Wakana's MonoPad | Loose Screw**

 **Watari:** So, everyone else _**except for Hitomu and Shinji**_ are suspicious, right?

 **Misaki:** I think so.

 **Tomoyo:** How are we going to, uh, testify for ourselves without being seen as liars though?

 **Viorel:** Yes, that is a problem to take note of.

 **Watari:** Aw, don't worry about it, sweetie. I'm sure we'll find the murderer sooner or later… well, unless we're stalling and it's actually _**Akio**_.

 **Kyatchi:** Too obvious. We're not in some _**cliched murder mystery movie**_ , are we?

 **Yume:** Maybe we are in one. Who knows?

 **Ayako:** I-I honestly _**don't have an alibi**_. I was alone by myself.

 **Blanchard:** It is _**the same**_ with Viorel and I.

 **Keishi:** Unfortunately, _**it is the same**_ with me.

 **Kyatchi:** Honestly? I think it's the _**same for everyone**_ , crossing off zoophiles Hitomu and Shinji here.

 **Shinjimae:** K-Kyatchi!

 **Ayako:** Eww, that's gross!

 **Hitomu:** In order to cross off who is in our list of suspects, I think we shouldn't focus on what happened during nighttime, but rather time other than that.

 **Kiyoko:** Really?

 **Hitomu:** Maybe there were people _**who knew of Wakana and Blaise meeting**_.

 **Ayako:** You think so?

 **Blanchard:** That is certainly a possibility.

 **Viorel:** But then who…?

 **Akio:** _I think I know who knew of us meeting beforehand._

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Misaki's Testimony-**

 **Akio:** I agree!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio quickly tapped onto the screen, sending forth Misaki's Testimony to the entire group. "I think you all should know this one, right?"

"H-hey!" Ayako looked accusingly at the actor. "Are you suspecting me of being the killer?"

Misaki's eyes widened. "O-oh…"

"I-it's good you figured that," Shinjimae began, praising Akio with a small smile, "but… t-to think of them being m-murderers is just…"

"So Misaki or Ayako might be the killer." Watari nodded to himself. "Very interesting, Aki! You have a keen eye for detail."

"Yeah, sure…" The actor deadpanned. "Anyways, Misaki had learned from Wakana that she and I were meeting in the library later. Misaki then told Ayako this. I don't mean to be rude, but those two have a high possibility of being the murderer."

"Really?" Misaki was shocked. "I'd never kill Wakana!"

Ayako began to tear up. "Y-you're so mean…"

"So you bumped into Wakana…" Kiyoko frowned, crossing her arms. "This may as well be a claim then, considering if you actually are the killer, Misaki."

"Why would you tell Ayako anyways?" Hitomu asked, curious. "Did she ask you about it?"

Misaki averted her gaze. She was holding her breath. "Well… I got a bit too excited about those two being together alone and so… Well, I just told the first person I saw about them."

"Y-yeah, that's right!" Ayako wiped her tears. "And I didn't tell anyone else this because I wanted you and Wakana to have your time alone! I can't judge you two for your preferences!"

Akio suddenly blushed, realizing what the two women have imagined. "What? Were you expecting us to make out or something?!"

Ayako's cheeks were instantly red. "D-don't talk about that! It's embarrassing! Why're you saying it to a girl?! You're so mean!"

"U-um…" Akio was speechless. "So uh… We're just suspecting you two. We're not calling you out as the murderer yet. It's just speculation, considering you two were the only ones who knew of Wakana and I's time together."

"I honestly don't know how to refute that." Misaki was saddened. She sighed as she eyed the truth bullet in front of the screen. "I didn't know that bumping into Wakana would bring me to this predicament."

"I-I know right?!" Ayako continued to rub her eyes. "If anything, aren't Blanchard and Viorel more suspicious?"

Viorel stared at the woman, frowning. "What?"

The lolita fashion model sobbed. "I-I mean, you guys were the ones who stayed late to clean the school… Couldn't that all have been an excuse?"

"Excuse me, but-"

"Viorel, quiet." Blanchard forcibly switched the eyepatch. "Master Ayako, you have the right to be suspicious of us. However, it is our duty as the Ultimate Butler to clean the school and do chores. We do not hold any ill will by staying after night."

Watari shrugged. "Well, that's just based on what you said. It's up to them to decide if you're lying or not."

Viorel switched the eyepatch, now pointing accusingly at the detective. "Wouldn't you know? You're a detective."

"Like I'd help these brainless fools?" Watari laughed. "You flatter me."

"O-our alibis are so flimsy…" Masako was shaking. "W-we won't be able to figure out who killed W-Wakana at this rate."

"S-see? So I can't be the only one who could've killed her!" Ayako was clenching into her small fists. She was pouting angrily at Akio. "Everyone's suspicious, especially you!"

"S-somehow, I knew you would say that…" Akio sighed, shaking his head. He watched as the truth bullet displayed on the screen disappeared. "Well, so Ayako and Misaki are the most suspicious so far. Blanchard and Viorel may be suspicious as well, though most of us do not have an alibi during the night, so I won't hold it against them."

Blanchard bowed his head down. "Thank you, Master Blaise."

Misaki furrowed her brows. "I'm not the killer…"

"Me neither! There's no reason for me to kill Wakana." Ayako continued to sob. The tears never left her face. "W-why would I kill someone like her?"

Watari whistled into the air. "Wow, Aki! You made the poor girl cry. You're such a monster."

"I'll be pissed if he's the killer and he's targeting Ayako on purpose," Kiyoko commented, glaring angrily at the actor. "If he's grilling her down just to make her quote on quote 'confess', then that's just low."

"I assure you, I'm not." Akio looked back at the recreation worker, frowning. "I'm just trying to figure out who killed Wakana, that's all. When it comes down to it, suspecting everyone is a must for us to figure out who turned on us."

Yume's eyes perked up. "What cruel words."

"B-but if you're the murderer…" Masako looked hesitant. She was looking back and forth, left to right, left to right. "T-then we'd be going down the wrong p-path."

"He's an obvious killer though." Kyatchi grinned dryly. "He was the one who was with Wakana, after all. They want to have their time to themselves, after all. Maybe they slept together?"

"S-slept?!" Shinjimae's face went red again.

"That's raunchy." Misaki was stunned at this claim. "I still can't imagine Wakana as that type of person."

"No one could," Keishi sighed, a bit embarrassed as well.

Hitomu sighed, shaking his head. He didn't seem comfortable with this at all. "Well, if you say that, then what else points to Ayako being the killer?"

 _What else, huh?_ Akio thought to himself, cupping his chin. _Let's see…_

* * *

 **HANGMAN'S GAMBIT**

 **Question: What else points to Ayako being the killer?**

 **. . . - . . . .'. - . . . .**

 **Akio:** _What could possibly point to her being the killer?_

 **T . e - Ve . .' s - . . . .**

 **Akio:** _I'm getting somewhere. I know it._

 **The - Ven .' s - S . . e**

 **Akio:** _Is this it? I think this is it!_

 **Answer: The Vent's Size**

 **Akio:** _Here's what I got!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio grinned at the group, suddenly a surge of confidence in his face. "You guys know that there's a vent in the library, right?"

Tomoyo nodded, wary. "Yes. It connects to this entire building, though I think the ventilation can only be reachable to us from… uh, I think not only the library, but the kitchen and auditorium as well."

"Right." Hitomu nodded his head. He stroked his cats' fur with ease. "The vent inside of the kitchen is easily reachable with a ladder, though I never actually took notice of it because of the vent's lack of needed use."

Watari shrugged. "I doubt anyone would care."

"The vent's big," Akio continued, still confident in his answer "It is easily able to fit a person. I would think that although the vent is big, it shouldn't be able to fit people like us too easily though… well, unless they were small."

Ayako's eyes widened. "Ah!"

"I see." Shinjimae worriedly eyed the lolita fashion model. "S-since Ayako's small… G-good job for figuring that out Blaise, b-but Ayako…"

"J-just because of that?!" Ayako frowned. "That's just a deduction! You're not even sure of it! How do you know if I'd fit in there? You just guessed! You didn't went inside there yourself, did you?"

Akio raised a brow. "I didn't, but-"

"And that's where I'll stop you right there!" Monokuma threw his paws up to the air, screaming as loudly as he could. Silence, and the bear smiled. He stared straight at the actor. "Aki dear, you can stimulate this scenario."

The brunette was baffled. He stared blankly at the overseer before a sudden realization ran through his head. His eyes widened. "What? You mean from the triangle app?"

Monokuma clapped his hands together. "Yup!"

The brunette frowned. He looked down at his laptop screen, then tapping away from the truth bullets and clicking to the triangle- 'Extra Shit'.

There, he was brought to a black screen. It was black for a moment, but then there were a few buttons on display- X, Y, and Z. On the bottom of the X button was titled 'Stimulation', the other two struck with just a simple question mark on their bottoms.

He clicked onto the X button. There he was brought to a model of the school building, the two floors being shown. Then, to the side, he saw the menu bar. There were all sorts of options from models, actions, save, load, etc.

Akio glanced back at Monokuma. "Uh…"

"Hah! You look confused! It's funny!" Monokuma bawled his eyes out laughing, gloating at what he saw. "It's pretty simple- just pick your model, click the location where you want them to be in, and then type in the commands! Ah, is it not that simple? Oh, well, I'll send you the instructions then."

Akio sighed. He waited for a moment, but nothing happened.

"Oops. Shit." Monokuma looked over to the actor, awkwardly scratching his head. "I deleted the instruction manual on accident."

"What?!"

Watari laughed. "Ha! How tragic. Now our poor Aki can't prove us if Ayako could pass through the vent or not. What a tragedy!"

"I-I mean, because I obviously can't go in there!" Ayako looked relieved at this blunder, but nonetheless screamed her thoughts out loud. "Geez…"

Monokuma sighed. "Guess I'll have to give you a freebie instead!"

Akio's eyes widened as the bear suddenly jumped over to him. The bear was now in front of the laptop, Akio having to scoot back in response. "Hey-"

"Don't worry, pretty boy!" Monokuma was tapping rapidly into the keyboard, almost right at the speed of light. Akio was unsure whether Monokuma was breaking the computer or not. "You're too pretty for me to not help! Besides, considering this whole shit is new to you guys, I'll be nice."

"S-sure…"

Monokuma smiled happily. He continued to tap rapidly into the keyboard. The cursor was moving around the screen at a scarily fast pace, and within a few seconds the bear stopped. He looked over to Akio. "Done!"

"Uh…" Akio moved to the side, eyeing the screen. There he found a model of Ayako inside of the library, the ventilation having been opened. His eyes widened. "Woah- uh, how?"

The overseer laughed. "That's so fucking easy! You just select the model you want to use, select the setting, then type in the commands! That's all there is to it!"

"I-I see…" Akio still looked unsure. He wondered if the bear was oversimplifying things.

"Hey, I know you're doubting me!" Monokuma then stopped, pouting. "Then again, to be fair, I decided to help you… I should've let you done it yourself to make you see how easy this is. Oops. Well, it's too late now I guess!"

The bear jumped back to his chair, laying himself comfortably down. He pointed straight at the actor. "Alright Aki, just click the 'Watch' button so you can show your masterpiece to the others!"

Akio was hesitant, but moved the cursor over. He clicked at that exact button.

"Oh!"

It was an instant reaction. The stimulation was sent throughout the entire enclosed circle of Ultimates.

Tomoyo looked impressed with what she was seeing. "I see. So this is the stimulation."

Watari smirked, looking at the screen. "So we have to watch this stimulation, hm? Very interesting. What incredible graphics~"

Misaki looked excited, eyes brightening up without a second to waste. "Click the 'Play' button!"

Akio frowned. _It looks like they aren't taking this seriously… Fucking hell. Whatever, as long as I avenge Wakana, this is fine with me._ The actor sighed, clicking onto the play button.

The scenario instantly played out.

* * *

 **STIMULATION**

Ayako was inside of the library. She looked around, left and right. The ventilation was opened, and the woman nodded to herself. She looked around the library, noticing the stepladder. She quickly headed over to the ladder and moved it towards the ventilation. The woman climbed up, and then began moving down the vent. She fitted herself perfectly inside. It was such an easy task.

 **Theory: [PROVEN RIGHT]**

* * *

The actor crossed his arms, having stopped the stimulation. He clicked back to the menu screen. "This scenario here proves that Ayako would've been able to fit in easily into the vent."

Ayako paled. Her entire face was white as a sheet. "B-but…" She pointed accusingly at Monokuma, fear in her eyes. "I-it's just a stimulation! I-it's not accurate!"

Monokuma frowned, glaring at the lolita fashion model. "Bitch, I took time and effort to create that mechanism! I made sure that whatever is stimulated in that is accurate! The vent is the same as it is in real life, and you being able to fit in that vent yields the same results as in real life! God, stop blaming me when I'm not cheating!"

"B-but… I'm not the killer!" Ayako threw her hands over her head, covering her eyes. She was sobbing.

Tomoyo worriedly glanced at the woman. "Ayako…"

"Alright, it's been proven that someone of her build can fit through the vent." Hitomu was eyeing Akio, stern in his expression. "However, can someone taller and more built fit in?"

Viorel frowned. "Are you suggesting that Blanchard and I could've gone in there?"

The cat keeper nodded, acknowledging the butler. "Well, we need to tackle this possibility as well."

Viorel looked bemused at this, but scoffed and averted his gaze. "I suppose you have a point then."

"Ooh! Hey, hey!" Watari quickly threw a hand up. "Allow me to create this scenario, Monokuma, Aki."

Akio raised a brow. "Do you even know how to operate this thing?"

"From listening to Monokuma's little explanation, I think I have a basic grasp of this." Watari smirked, turning to eye the bear. "May I?"

The bear rolled his eyes. "Do whatever you like. I'm just here to watch you guys all participate. I like grading peeps on their performances and shit. I always wanted to be a teacher, y'know?"

Yume raised a brow. "But you're making us discuss about a crime case."

Watari chuckled. Acknowledged by the overseer, the detective began to type into the laptop, moving his cursor around. A few minutes passed before the detective let out a confident sigh. He looked confidently at the group. "Alright, I'm done. I'll send it to you guys."

Akio frowned. A second passed and the screen flashed back to the stimulation room. He eyed the screen- there was now the Ultimate Butler, present inside of the library.

Blanchard took a look at the laptop, then humming a thought to himself. "... I see. His appearance looks quite alike to me."

"Yup! I made sure the graphics are accurate!" Monokuma yelled from the distance, cackling for some odd reason.

Ayako shook, her hands clenched. "T-this will definitely prove that I can't be the killer! I-I'm sure everyone can fit inside the vent!"

"I mean…" Watari took a glance at the butler. An amused expression escaped his face. "I know I would be able to fit inside the vent with how small I am as well, but Blanchard and Viorel are quite the different story, aren't they?"

Tomoyo nodded, eyes fixated on the butler. She was staring up and down. "He's really tall…"

Blanchard shook his head, sighing. "I assure you, my tall height is a hindrance to us."

Watari smirked coyly. "Well, let's see if your tall height and build will help prove you innocent… or not."

Akio's eyes widened. The stimulation instantly played.

* * *

 **STIMULATION**

Like the stimulation beforehand, the Ultimate Butler was inside of the library. He headed right away to the stepladder. He climbed from one step, and then up another. The ventilation was already opened, and so the butler began making his way inside the vent. He poked his head inside, and his hands tried to move him forward. A second passed. Another second passed. He never once moved forward. He couldn't ease himself into the vent.

 **Theory: [PROVEN WRONG]**

* * *

Ayako was horrified by this revelation. "W-what… He doesn't fit in?"

Blanchard cupped his chin. He was watching the stimulation with keen interest. "I see," he began, slow. "So Viorel and I do not fit inside of the vent."

"T-that's good to hear!" Shinjimae smiled happily at the butler. "T-that means you two are i-innocent, correct?"

The eyepatch was switched. "I knew that would be the case. It's obvious that we did not do anything. We were just cleaning the school, right Blanchie?"

"Yes, that's correct, Viorel." Blanchard looked over to Watari. "Thank you for proving our innocence, Master Watari."

The detective laughed. The stimulation disappeared from everyone's screens, having been turned off. "Well, I suppose I would say 'you're welcome', but I didn't necessary prove anyone's innocence or guilt. I merely proved whether you would fit into the vent or not, that is all."

"T-this is definitely wrong!" Ayako was shaking. "E-even if that's been proven, that still doesn't mean I'm the killer!"

Watari crossed his arms, watching the lolita fashion model cry in her seat. "Well," he began, slow, "she does have a point. The only incriminating piece of evidence against her is that her short height and build allows her to move easily into the vent."

Akio raised a brow. "And you as well."

"But you know I'm not a killer, right?" Watari smirked, eyeing the actor who stayed silent. "Alright, if we have to base this off of who can move through the ventilation, all because of one loose screw, then our culprits would be me, Ayako, Tomoyo, and Wakana."

Tomoyo's eyes widened, but she quickly composed herself. "Ah, right… Ayako and I are about the same height."

"I doubt you're suspicious though," Kiyoko said, reassuring the screenwriter with a nod.

"Wakana's as short as I am!" Watari clapped his hands happily. "Isn't that cute to note, Aki?"

"Tsk." Akio shook his head. He really wanted to rid of the detective, but he had a point- or, it seemed, he always had a point.

 _Well, he is the Ultimate Detective for a reason. There's a reason why the government labeled him with that title._

Akio scratched his head, sighing. "Alright, then let's put that aside for now. We're only going to suspect Ayako on the mere basis that Misaki told her about Wakana and I. Misaki herself could be suspicious."

Misaki sighed inwardly to herself, Ayako on the other hand shaking her head sadly.

"Well, that's fine and dandy and all, but we have no idea how the murder even occured." Kyatchi was tugging at his bandannas, looking more than displeased. "You guys were suggesting that someone could've moved through the vents, but is that really the case?"

"He has a point," Keishi mumbled. "What if the murderer didn't move through the vents?"

"Ah, right." Akio cupped his chin, now thinking. "That brings up the question if Wakana was killed inside of the library or not."

"Right." Hitomu pursed his lips. "But where could Wakana be killed, if not the library? I would've supposed Blanchard and Viorel could've noticed the killer moving around."

"Wait." Kiyoko frowned, staring at Akio. "But if Wakana was killed outside of the library, then why? Was she dragged out there or something? Did she move there of her own accord?"

"I… I wouldn't know." The actor averted his gaze, expression filled with pain and guilt. "I… I was asleep."

Kiyoko was shocked. "What? How? I can't believe you would fall asleep in front of someone."

"That puts the icing on the cake." Kyatchi obviously sounded like he was making a joke, but it was forced back. He had noticed the pain on the brunette's face, after all.

"T-there must be a reason…" Masako nervously spoke. "Why did you fall asleep, i-if I may ask?"

Akio awkwardly scratched his head. "Well-"

"That's obviously a lie!"

The actor's eyes widened. He looked to Ayako, the woman accusing him with anger in her eyes. He was shocked. "A-Ayako?"

The woman had her hands clenched into fists. "You're lying! It's impossible to think that you could fall asleep!"

"What?" Akio frowned. "Why?"

Ayako shook her head. She was unwilling to listen to the man. "How can you fall asleep? You were with Wakana! It's rude to even fall asleep in front of your friend! I can't believe you at all!"

 _Seriously? I can't believe this._

Ayako had her fists slammed down on the table.

" _I'll stop you here!"_

* * *

 **REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN**

 **Truth Blades: Case File #001 | Hitomu's Testimony | Ventilation | Wakana's MonoPad**

 **Ayako:** You're obviously lying!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** I can't just believe that excuse of you just 'sleeping'!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** Doesn't that sound coincidental?

==SLASH!==

 **ADVANCE!**

 **Akio:** Why? Can you prove that I wasn't sleeping during that time?

 **Akio:** It was bad luck that I fell asleep. And there's a reason for me falling asleep if you just let me answer it!

 **Ayako:** No! I know you're lying!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** I mean, there's _**no reason**_ for you to even sleep!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** Everything you're saying is just a lie!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** You can't convince me otherwise!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** I won't believe you!

==SLASH!==

 **-Truth Blade Selected: Ventilation-**

 **Akio:** I'll slice through those words!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio slammed his fists down, forcing the woman to stay silent. "Jesus Christ, just let me explain myself. I know you're upset that I accused you, but it's needed in a trial!"

Ayako was frustrated, but eventually nodded her head. She slouched down into her seat.

The actor sighed, relieved. "Well, anyways, there's a reason why I was able to fall asleep inside of the library. It wasn't because I was bored of Wakana or anything. It wasn't just some stupid excuse either."

Watari chuckled. "Please, do tell~"

"It has to do with the ventilation."

"The vent?" Kyatchi snorted. "The whole community of vents must be livid after hearing your accusations against them."

Akio rolled his eyes, continuing. "Though you may be suspicious of Watari, he brings up a point that Monokuma tends to lower the temperature inside of the library during nighttime. I believe that Monokuma's reasons are that the library gets stuffy later in the mornings."

Monokuma nodded his head rapidly. "Yup! That's correct!"

"So, if I had to guess," Kiyoko began, thinking, "that means the killer turned on the heater instead of the cooler. The warm heat would've surely caused you to fall asleep."

"That's what I'm saying." Akio smiled. "The heat would've caused us to fall more easily relaxed, thus making me fall asleep. I'm not sure if Wakana fell asleep though. I think I fell asleep much more quicker than she did… I think."

"Well, that proves that the killer messed with the temperature," Hitomu said, rewording Akio's words. A small smile was on his face. "However, unfortunately, this doesn't prove whether Wakana moved outside of the library herself or was inside of the library and fell asleep. We don't know if the killer killed her outside of the room."

"Wait." Tomoyo worriedly eyed the group. "Not to be rude or anything, but… I think there's something off. I don't know why, but, uh… I-I just feel like the killer wouldn't have done such a lazy job."

Akio's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Tomoyo?"

The screenwriter cupped her hands. "Uh, well… I think that the killer had planned Wakana's murder elaborately, considering her state. I just think that if the killer wanted to pin Wakana's crime on you, then they'd have done a better job of making sure you fell asleep, if not both you and Wakana."

The actor raised a brow. "I see. So you're saying that the temperature might just be a precaution to something else?"

Tomoyo nodded, albeit hesitantly. "Yeah…"

Watari whistled into the air. He looked happily at the screenwriter. "Aw, Tomoyo seriously knows what I was thinking! We think alike."

The screenwriter was baffled, unsure of how to respond to the man. "A-ah, I see."

"Mhm. I think that there was something else that could've caused not only you to fall asleep, but Wakana as well." Watari took the time to wink at the brunette. "Do you know what it may be?"

Akio frowned. He thought for a moment, but his mind eventually drew a blank.

"You don't know? How tragic." The detective chuckled, crossing his arms. "I do hope you and the others will figure this out."

"Y-you're not going to help us?" Shinjimae asked, worriedly eyeing Watari.

The detective shook his head, causing everyone to frown. He really wanted to mess with them, and that was a certainty.

Kyatchi clapped his hands together, feigning a happy look. "Alright children, let's discuss this together in crisscross applesauce!"

Yume sighed. "I guess."

"That was a joke- Whatever."

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Duct Tape | Hitomu's Testimony | Loose Screw | Wakana's MonoPad**

 **Kiyoko:** So… There might be another reason for Blaise falling asleep.

 **Watari:** Yes! But do you know what?

 **Misaki:** If I had to make a guess… Maybe it has to do with _**the ventilation**_?

 **Ayako:** But if that's right, then what is it?

 **Tomoyo:** Uh, I don't know for sure… Maybe _**they drank something**_ that caused them to fall asleep?

 **Masako:** I-if I had to suggest, if not drink, _**then eat**_?

 **Shinjimae:** I-I mean… I don't know m-myself…

 **Yume:** Can't you just tell us the answer, Watari?

 **Watari:** Why would I make it simple?

 **Hitomu:** … Well, we need to know if _**Watari is lying to us**_ or not.

 **Keishi:** But Tomoyo seems to think the same?

 **Tomoyo:** I-it's just a hunch though. I might not be right.

 **Kiyoko:** Can you seriously just tell us the answer Watari? I'm getting annoyed.

 **Watari:** Haha, no thanks~

 **Yume:** Maybe we would figure it out if _**someone knows something**_ suspicious?

 **Akio:** Hm…

 **Akio:** _Well, we just have to work slowly, I guess…_

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Hitomu's Testimony-**

 **Akio:** I agree with that!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

The actor quickly sent forth the truth bullet, eyeing everyone whose reactions changed immediately. There, he began to speak. "I might be wrong, but whatever was missing in the kitchen may have been the cause to me sleeping, not only the temperature."

Hitomu's eyes widened. "Right. I do not know what was missing inside of the kitchen. I only remember the knife having been missing, but there was something else missing as well."

"How omnious," Kyatchi mumbled.

Ayako raised a brow, eyeing the actor. "But then what would be missing that would cause you to fall asleep?"

"What would make you fall asleep?" Keishi looked curiously at the man. "You didn't drink anything, right?"

Akio shook his head. "No, if I had drank something, I would've fallen asleep sooner. I assume the glasses passed were at random too."

Blanchard nodded. "Yes, that is correct."

The actor pointed to Hitomu. "First of all, how were you able to notice that the knife and something else were missing? Did you first see that the knife was missing when you saw it at the crime scene?"

Hitomu shook his head. "I noticed it when I wanted to prepare dinner. I didn't think of it as urgent though since I considered I might've misplaced it. I noticed that something else was missing inside of the cabinets, but I still can't put my finger to it…"

Kyatchi raised a brow. "So what? You want us to play a guessing game?"

"Hm, so what can cause Blaise to go to sleep…" Tomoyo thought to herself, mumbling. "... and doesn't include him consuming something…"

"This is quite the guessing game." The juggler frowned. "Is this hard mode?"

Watari laughed. "Not to me~"

Kiyoko instantly glared at the man. "Shut up." She then looked over to Akio. "What if he's just lying to us though? Like Ayako said, this might just be an excuse for him to prolong the trial."

"T-true…" Shinjimae looked concerned, worry in his face. "B-but I hope not."

"Oh!"

Akio's eyes widened. He found himself eyeing Masako. "Did you find something?"

The survivalist blushed, the sudden attention directing itself to her. She almost slouched down into her seat before she slowly nodded. "W-what if, uh, perhaps, someone used carbon monoxide?"

"Carbon monoxide?" Akio frowned. "Explain."

"Y-yes, of course." Masako was fidgeting. "Uh, well… There's carbon monoxide in m-most household items… A-and if the items weren't operated properly, carbon monoxide will leak through and c-can kill a person, that's not all… Even i-in the slightest bit, i-it can cause sickness or faintness…"

"Really?" Tomoyo seemed interested in the subject. "So it doesn't kill a person instantly."

Masako nodded. "Y-yes, that's right. I-I've heard cases where carbon monoxide was the c-cause of people blacking out… Deaths are m-more known though, but carbon monoxide d-does cause sickness and faintness."

"Maybe that explains you sleeping then?" Watari winked to the actor. "Or, in that case, falling unconscious? The temperature was merely a coverup."

"You're saying that carbon monoxide was leaking through the ventilation?" Akio was unsure of this, crossing his arms. "Isn't the ventilation powered by electric though?"

Watari laughed. "I wasn't suggesting that it was the ventilation itself that did it, merely a helper to the real cause itself."

Akio frowned. He was baffled by what the detective was saying, and so he looked back to Masako. "Do you know of any household items that can cause this then?"

The survivalist nodded her head quickly. "Y-yes, of course! Sorry for not mentioning this earlier. Some h-household items include furnaces, dryers, gas stoves and ovens, w-water heaters… Uh, anything that isn't powered t-through electric… A-anything that's powered through gas…"

Shinjimae eyed Hitomu. "D-do you know anything?"

The cat keeper shook his head, obviously frustrated with this. "No, sorry. I can't think of anything."

"Wait." Misaki stared keenly at the man. "Don't we have portable heaters here?"

Hitomu thought for a moment, eyes then widening. "Ah, right. We do have portable heaters hidden inside of our closets. They are hidden quite well though, behind our clothes."

"Why even hide them?" Kyatchi asked, confused. "Does Monokuma think I'll try to kill myself with one if I found out?"

"Pfft, nah." Monokuma grinned. "I hid both a portable fan and heater inside of you guys' closets to make sure you won't abuse them. Use a heater when it is winter, and use a fan when it is summer! It's that simple guys! Save energy!"

"Since when did you care about Earth?" Yume mumbled, eyeing the bear in disapproval.

"I never knew we had them," Tomoyo said, shocked. "I thought the ventilations were all we had."

"But if you think about it, Moe, there's a reason why our rooms don't have ventilation." Watari smiled happily at the woman, chuckling. "Every other room has ventilation except for our own."

Tomoyo blushed instantly. "M-Moe?"

"I think it's a cute name for you!" Watari shaped his hands together into a heart shape. "You are 'moe', after all!"

"I-I am not 'moe'!"

The detective laughed, now winking at the woman. "I find you quite endearing though, Moe. Very cute and befitting of an angel."

And instantly did Tomoyo went silent, red.

Kiyoko frowned. "Are you just teasing her on purpose to mock her?"

"Am I?" Watari hummed, tilting his head. "Well, that's for you to find out, not me."

Akio sighed, deciding to think to himself. _Hm… so we each have a portable fan and heater to ourselves. If anything, I would think that the heater would be the one who can cause carbon monoxide… that is, if-!_

The actor quickly looked back to Masako. "Is the portable heater a space heater, by any chance?"

"Y-yes!" Masako smiled, relieved. It seemed like she was worried that her theory would run deep into murky waters. "Our heaters d-don't seem to have plugs, and they are powered through gas… s-so I think…"

"I see." Akio nodded. "It makes sense. So you're saying that the heater was powered on and was the cause for my falling asleep."

Watari clapped his hands together. "Correct! If you put a heater inside of another heater, then surely something would break! Carbon monoxide would spread into the room, and there goes your and Wakana's consciousness!"

"I'm just surprised it didn't kill them," Kiyoko said, blunt.

The detective wagged his finger around. "Not at all. Do not be surprised. Even if a space heater broke, it isn't truly enough to cause those two to die. They are not inside of a room full of carbon monoxide~"

Akio nodded. He looked over to Masako, then smiling widely. "Thank you."

"I-it's not a problem!" Masako's cheeks went pink, the woman quickly glancing away. She was completely embarrassed.

"Wait." Ayako paled. "If you're suggesting that someone put the heater inside of the vent, then-"

"Oh, you figured it out!" Watari laughed. "That's correct. The blame jumps back to you, Ayako."

"W-what?!" Ayako didn't know how to respond, eyes just wide in fear. "I-I…"

"I feel bad for her," Hitomu said, sighing. "She's getting all the blame. We're suggesting that once she learned of Wakana's meetup with Blaise she took her portable heater and placed it inside of the vent?"

"Can she even do all the handiwork?" Kyatchi raised a brow, suspicious. "I doubt a small girl like her could even unscrew the screws around the ventilation, nonetheless carry it down and set it back up."

"T-that's right!" A hope of light shined into the woman's eyes. "I-I hate to admit it, but I'm too weak to carry the vent's door!"

"Good point." Watari smiled. "Back to square one we go!"

"We don't even know much about how Wakana died." Keishi worriedly bit into his lips. He was drumming his fingers nervously on the table. "We're just blaming Ayako."

"Well, not exactly now." Akio cupped his chin. He was staring intensely at his list of evidence.

 _If Ayako can't do the dirty work opening the vent, then what? Is she actually innocent or not?_

Akio thought for a moment. He frowned. He might have to do a rerun of what he knew.

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Duct Tape | Blanchard/Viorel's Chores | Hitomu's Testimony | Wakana's Monopad**

 **Ayako:** I told you, I'm _**not guilty**_ of anything!

 **Watari:** Are you sure about that?

 **Tomoyo:** She did say she can't lift the vent or take it down either.

 **Kiyoko:** She _**doesn't look physically strong**_ either.

 **Kyatchi:** Then who could've done it?

 **Misaki:** If not Ayako, then… maybe someone _**opened it for her**_?

 **Watari:** Maybe _**Akio**_ did it!

 **Kiyoko:** That is a possibility…

 **Shinjimae:** E-excuse me, b-but didn't _**we discuss**_ why he f-fell asleep?

 **Yume:** We did.

 **Keishi:** I'm _**not sure**_ who else could've done this though…

 **Kyatchi:** If we don't know the answer, blame Blaise! That's _**how we always do it nowadays**_ folks. Very trendy.

 **Ayako:** K-Kyatchi…

 **Hitomu:** No one _**other than Misaki and Ayako**_ knew about Blaise and Wakana meeting.

 **Misaki:** I really am not the killer though.

 **Ayako:** Same here! Stop blaming me, please.

 **Masako:** I-if not Ayako, then, perhaps, who? Who c-could've killed Wakana?

 **Akio:** _Well, I think I have a good idea of what went down. It's just an educated guess, but let's see… I might get somewhere if I berate them._

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Blanchard/Viorel's Chores-**

 **Akio:** I agree with that!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Misaki's eyes widened as she turned to the actor. "R-really? Who then?"

The actor frowned. "It's just a guess, but I'd have to say Blanchard and Viorel."

Blanchard looked shocked at this accusation. "May I perhaps ask why, Master Blaise? Why do you suspect us?"

Akio sighed, sending forth the truth bullet. "Simply because of this."

"Really?" Kiyoko was suspicious. She was reading through the truth bullet sent to her laptop, eyes squinting. "I mean…"

"It makes sense." Watari smirked at the actor, snapping his fingers. He seemed content with what he was seeing. "Decebel did say he was cleaning the entire school building."

"But just because of that?" The recreation worker frowned. "Most of us don't even have an alibi aside from Hitomu and Shinji. Anyone could've helped Ayako, right?"

Akio shook his head. "Well, I'm basing this on an assumption, but most of you guys really don't have the courage or motivation to kill. Even with that motive that Monokuma showed us, you were more cowardly than willing to kill."

"Woah." Kyatchi scratched his head. "I call offense to that."

Ayako raised a brow. "Why would you?"

Kiyoko crossed her arms. "But then what's the reason for Ayako killing Wakana?"

Akio bit into his lips.

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would Ayako kill Wakana?**

 **A. Because she was forced to.**

 **[B. Because she had the opportunity to do so.]**

 **C. Because of the motive.**

 **D. Because fate told her to do so.**

 **Akio:** _That's the answer!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"The opportunity presented itself." Akio was staring at the lolita fashion model. "After hearing it from Misaki that Wakana was going to hang out with me, the opportunity to kill her was presented. It was the perfect idea for her to frame me for Wakana's murder."

Watari smiled. "Well, if she's the killer."

Akio nodded. "Well, yeah, if she's the killer. There's also to note that the motive may have had something to do with this too. Since Watari labeled me as a murderer, it was a perfect idea for her to frame me."

Ayako was shivering. "B-but I didn't do it!"

"And that's why I point to Blanchard and Viorel." The actor was now staring intensely at the butler. "You could've either been the accomplice, or the killer. Whichever one works doesn't matter at the point, but what I want to say is that there is a high possibility of you two helping her out."

Blanchard frowned. "And why, may I ask?"

"It's an assumption," Akio began, "but I want to ask this- what sort of jobs do you do as a butler?"

"Wow, stereotyping much?" The juggler grinned. "It's not like he does-"

"I do whatever people request of me to do. That is my job as a butler, and nonetheless Viorel's as well."

It was silence.

Kyatchi frowned. He whipped his head over to the butler, stunned. "Seriously?"

Watari clapped his hands together. "Ooh! Does that mean you will murder if someone asks you to?"

The eyepatch suddenly switched. "Blanchard, don't you dare-"

"Yes."

"T-that bluntly?" Tomoyo forced a smile. "It sounds uncanny, sorry to say…"

"That's…" Shinjimae paled. "S-so does that mean you killed Wakana?"

Blanchard was silent. He thought to himself for a moment, pondering. It was as if he was hesitant on answering. His eyes glanced down at his laptop screen, and he immediately looked up.

"Yes," he said, indifferent in his tone. "I killed Wakana."

Ayako's eyes widened. "What?!"

"S-so it was you?" Even Hitomu was shocked, unable to keep his mouth from hanging agape. His cats jumped off of the table. "I-I see… Well, at least you admit it. So was Ayako your accomplice?"

Ayako was silent. She quickly averted her gaze.

Blanchard nodded his head. "Yes, that is correct. She is my accomplice. The opportunity had presented itself to her and she requested for me to kill Wakana, and that is why I did that."

"W-why are you saying that out loud?" Ayako was biting into her lip. "You make me sound bad…"

"O-of course that's bad!" Masako was hurt. "P-please don't mind my rudeness, but t-that is a horrible thing to do!"

The lolita fashion model clenched into her fists. "I-I can't help it! Don't blame me for this!"

The eyepatch was switched, Viorel scratching his head. "Well, we're in a tight situation now… Is this really fine?"

"Should we just vote?" Kiyoko looked at the group, baffled. Even she was unsure of what to do. "I-I mean, they already confessed, so…"

"That sounds like a splendid idea." The detective chuckled. "I don't have any problem with it."

"I mean…" Keishi was hesitant. "Sure…"

"Is this fine?" Kyatchi raised a brow. He was crossing his arms. "Something seems off…"

Yume scoffed. "You think? It doesn't really matter, does it?"

The juggler shrugged, an indifferent expression on his face. "Other than this so-called 'punishment', yeah."

Tomoyo was silent. She was contemplating over the idea, her eyebrows furrowed. Her nose was wrinkled in unease before she suddenly turned to Akio. "Um, what do you think?"

Akio was staring blankly at the courtroom. People looked impatient to vote, and that was understandable. They wanted to find Wakana's murder, and they wanted to rid of this 'trial' as soon as possible. To tackle such a depressing topic was hard, and it would make sense for them to make haste to find the killer.

Yes, that was true, however the actor still couldn't find it in himself to laugh. He couldn't taste victory in his mouth. He should be gloating over figuring out that Decebel was the killer and that Ayako was an accomplice. He should be laughing at them. He should be mocking them for being caught. He should be screaming at them and demanding them for answers, but he wasn't. Instead, he felt empty.

Why? Why was he feeling so empty?

Something was wrong. It wasn't that how Wakana died bothered him, but it was that he had a horrible hunch on this 'punishment'. What was this punishment that would come forth if they were to be wrong? What would happen if the killer was found and the punishment was to ensure?

Honestly, Akio couldn't help but worry. His stomach churned as he wondered about the many intrepations behind that word- punishment.

Knowing Monokuma, Akio assumed, that bear was up to no good. He held malice, and this punishment would only stir trouble.

Akio glanced over at the overseer. He was picking at his small nose. Disgusting, but strangely the actor found himself fearful.

Something was wrong here.

Ayako and Blanchard didn't put up a fight. Viorel didn't once speak against Blanchard, never once defended the man. They only cried and whined, and then they stopped the moment they seemed to be proven guilty. Nothing made sense here.

 _If it's not how Wakana died that's making me uneasy, then what? Are they lying to me?_

Akio frowned.

 _Why?_

The actor looked around the room. He observed each of the Ultimates, eyeing their facial expressions and movement. They seemed unsure of what to do.

 _Something's wrong here…_

"Let's vote now."

Akio's eyes widened. He looked over to Watari who was smiling confidently at the group. He pursed his lips.

Watari was egging him on to do something.

The actor didn't know what was wrong, but he shook his head and slammed his fists down.

Everyone's attention was turned to him.

He held his breath. His heart was beating.

"Guys, let's wait a bit. Maybe those two aren't the killers."

It was all or nothing.

* * *

... Alright, and here's the end of the first part of the trial! This trial seems a bit slow and chaotic, but hopefully it will get better in the next part where everything starts to be revealed. The mystery hasn't been solved yet after all! They are only at the beginning. Anyways, let us hope I shall finish this trial (and Disparity's afterwards) before I'm busy in school!

Also, if you guys don't know, Shyjoker has an account for Pat-reon! If you would all be willing, please donate to her or give it a look! She is a really great drawer and could use your help! FanFiction won't let me promote the website's name in its entirety, but just type in the website for Pat-reon and add /Shyjoker/overview!

... And also, irwegwert has a SYOC story opened up, so please go submit to them! Zeph (zephryr) as well has one up that is different from the norm in the SYOC community, and nonetheless YellowTheWriter has one as well! If you would like, please do check their stories out! Wolffang1795 also has a SYOC story out as well, and it is very interesting, mixing the concepts of both Danganronpa and Jumanji!


	10. Chapter 1 - Part 2, Part C

Hello, and welcome to the final part of the trial! Here, we are finally going to get right down into who exactly killed Wakana... hopefully. Anyways, this chapter took a while for me to actually get started. However, once I actually started I got into the flow and ended up making this chapter really long. I honestly expected myself to finish this chapter next week, but whatever XD

 **ToonGuy:** "Me neither, I don't know what's happening?! Yes, wouldn't it be tiring having to stand up the entire time during the trial XD Yes, Kakuma was more likable, and a favorite haha. Maybe he is a klutz because the plot said so? Or maybe not... hm... Glad you like Kyatchi so far~ Yes, I assume Masako would know these things because she is a survivalist, after all, she needs to know how to survive XD Glad you enjoyed last chapter, and hopefully you'll have fun with this one."

 **liammarklh88:** "Aw thank you, but you have three stories, so I have to give props to you instead XD If Akio was the killer, then Kyatchi will have fun breaking the fourth wall about it! Glad you enjoyed the stimulation mechanism~ I honestly just learned that from watching a YouTube video on Reddit solving murder cases, to be honest~ A good ship for sure. Yes, yes, Joker's beautifully unique characters~ Waka Waka, huh?"

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Yes, I did. Let's see how she'll escape everyone's hatred now XD Thank you, and continue to great on whatever you're doing too~"

 **Meta King:** "Pfft, nice theory XD Decebel is definitely a demon, yes, I confirmed that."

 **PainX65:** "Yes, I see you there, my handsome shogun... SHOGUN KAYO?!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Hello, glad to see you back and kicking... writing long reviews... Just kidding, I love reading your reviews~ Pfft, I see that Misaki will be part of the comedy group now. She shall join Watari and Kyatchi. Does he care? Does he not? Who knows- oh wait, me. Yes, the stimulation idea was something I wanted to explore, and I'm glad you seem to like it. Everything requires risk, even sleeping... maybe... Well, to be fair, Tomoyo is a cute character XD Right, I just noticed she's in the middle of the two. Poor Tomoyo. Yes, the 'rules', the totally not vague rules. Well, glad you like the ending. I tend to be only great at writing ending scenes XD Let's see how long your next review is..."

* * *

Akio could see their looks of shock and doubt. It was obvious that they didn't believe him.

"What are you talking about?" Kiyoko asked, baffled. She was taken aback by how serious the man looked. "Didn't you pin them down because they were the culprits? For you to suddenly say that… Doesn't that mean this was all a mistake?"

"B-besides, pardon my rudeness, but Blanchard admitted it." Masako worriedly took a look at the butler, is expression indifferent. "A-are you suggesting that he's lying?"

The brunette nodded. "That's exactly what I'm trying to say. I think there's something off here, but I don't know what."

Kyatchi raised a brow. "So, a hunch?"

"That might be it." Akio held his breath, knowing the doubt was lingering in everyone's faces. "I think that we shouldn't vote yet. We haven't solved the entirety of Wakana's case anyways, right? Don't you want to avenge her?"

"Avenge is quite the strong word." Watari chuckled, amused. "But honestly, it's not like this 'punishment' Monokuma so forth calls it will harm us in any way. If we make a mistake in choosing our culprit, so what? We'll just be 'punished'. Nothing too dramatic, correct?"

Tomoyo thought for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. "I… I don't know, but when you put it that way, it sounds like this 'punishment' Monokuma brings forth will hurt us…"

"Ooh. Reverse psychology worked in my favor!" The detective applauded himself happily. "But yes, it might, but it might not. Do you really want us to waste our time here?"

Ayako averted her gaze. "W-we already got the fact that we did it… I don't understand you at all, Blaise."

"I admitted it." Blanchard looked hurt. "I must question why you're suspicious about my confession, Master Blaise."

"I…" Akio averted his gaze. He knew he was right. He just had to be right about this. "I just think that something's off. Even if you are the killer, I want to fully reveal what happened to Wakana. I want to know everything that happened to her in 100% detail. We can't just vote yet. I don't want this to end in mystery."

"I understand that." The screenwriter's expression suddenly shifted into that of empathy. "I want to know more about this as well."

"Why can't we just vote first?" Keishi asked, raising a brow. "It won't hurt."

Yume shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Do whatever you guys think is best."

"If we vote, doesn't that mean it's too late already? The punishment will either come for us or the killer." Hitomu was bemused. "Maybe it is best we wait."

"Does the punishment even matter?" Kyatchi snorted. "Maybe Monokuma will make us clean the building for a week or something."

"W-we already admitted it!" Ayako cried, annoyed. "I just want to get this over with! Please?!"

"Does it matter at this point?" Kiyoko asked, eyeing Akio. "This trial was worth nothing. We could've just asked Blanchard and Viorel hours ago."

Tomoyo frowned. "Would they admit it so easily?"

The butler smiled. "If you demand us to, then yes."

"W-wait, really?" Shinjimae was shocked, dumbfounded. "Uh… A-at least you're honest?"

"But they're not the murderer," Akio countered, crossing his arms. "We cannot vote yet. I don't think Blanchard and Viorel are the killer."

"Then why lie to us?" Yume was curious. "So Ayako is the killer?"

"Not that either. Ayako wouldn't have been defeated so easily then." The actor sighed. "Someone else is the killer."

"Uh…" Masako blinked repeatedly. "D-doesn't that mean you assume e-everyone wants to c-claim themselves as a killer?"

Kyatchi raised his hand, clearing his throat. "And doesn't that mean we're back at square one, Mr. Fukui?"

"Not exactly." Akio threw a look at Ayako and Blanchard. "We figured out that these two confessed to the crime, but why? Well, in my opinion, I think they're trying to cover up the true killer."

"What?!" Shinjimae threw his hands over his mouth. His face had paled. "S-so are you s-saying that t-they're accomplices?"

"That doesn't make any sense." Kyatchi raised a brow, eyeing the actor. "Why would those two help the killer anyways? Other than the motive, there is no other explanation. I wouldn't have assumed those two would even have the guts to help the killer."

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would Ayako and Decebel help the murderer other than for the motive?**

 **[A. They are guaranteed safety.]**

 **B. They are doing it for fun/entertainment.**

 **C. I do not know.**

 **D. They're being brainwashed/manipulated.**

 **Akio:** _That's the answer!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"Well," Akio began, blunt, "if not because of the motive, the killer can grant them safety if needed. The killer will owe them, and so if they want to do something sinister in the future, they can ask for the killer's help. They are also guaranteed safety as part of a deal that they do not reveal the killer in exchange that the killer can help them later."

"Really?" Tomoyo frowned, pursing her lips. She looked over to the butler and lolita fashion model. She was silent, then looking back to the actor. "So, Ayako and Decebel were potentially planning to murder later?"

The actor shook his head. "Not necessarily. They could've only helped to save themselves later if the killer were to kill more people."

"W-what?" Shinjimae looked worried. "I-it just sounds l-like the k-killer wanted to kill m-more than just W-Wakana…"

"A serial killer, my dear Shinji." Watari smirked. "So, if Aki's not a serial killer, then this murderer itself is… Or will be, if not for this trial and 'punishment'."

Masako nodded. "I-if we can figure out who it is, that is."

Keishi frowned. "Well, is that right?"

Ayako scoffed. "I-I keep telling you, you already figured it out! Just stop harassing me already! Geez!"

Blanchard cleared his throat. "I cannot confirm nor deny that. I have merely stated the truth, yet I cannot speak anymore if you continue to deny it."

"It is not the truth, that's why." Akio scoffed, rolling his eyes. "So, can we all come to the conclusion that we should continue the trial? At least solve Wakana's murder to the very end and maybe figure out if there is a true culprit to this case other than Decebel and Ayako?"

"I'm up for anything," the detective answered, shrugging. He then smiled sweetly at the screenwriter. "How about you, Moe?"

Tomoyo immediately went red, squeaking. "Y-yes!"

Watari chuckled. "Amusing, Moe."

Tomoyo was thrown into complete silence.

Akio deadpanned at the scene, quickly clearing his throat. "Anyways, I think we need to actually solve what is given to us- the truth bullets. We haven't figured out half of this whole thing."

"He…" Hitomu scanned through the truth bullets for a moment, then nodding. "He is right. I do have a lot of questions myself, and I would be frustrated if I were not to have a clear answer of what happened to Wakana, how, etc."

"Okay then," Kiyoko began, crossing her arms, "What have we not gone over, Blaise?"

The actor cupped his chin, pondering. "Well… For starters, we need to discuss about what is missing from the kitchen. We glanced over this for a bit-"

"-But we reached a dead end."

Akio nodded. His eyes were focused on Hitomu, the cat keeper having ended his sentence. With that settled, he continued. "Not only that, but the process of killing Wakana had been ignored. We also need to consider Wakana's message to Kiyoko."

"Oh, right!" Misaki turned to the recreation worker. "What was that about?"

Kiyoko frowned. "Oh, right." She glared at Akio for a moment, then turning to Monokuma. "Can you show them my conversation with Wakana?"

Monokuma snorted, shaking his head. "Bitch, please. I'm not that nice. You guys figure out if she's a big fat liar or not! I'm not helping!"

"... Well, that is a shame." Kiyoko scoffed, rolling her eyes. "My testimony is less valuable now."

"It's fine, Koko," Watari said, chuckling. His eyes were glimmering in amusement. His fingers were drumming against the wooden table. "Please do entertain us with you testimony."

The recreation worker threw Watari a look of disgust, but nonetheless sighed and nodded. She was rubbing the corners of her eyes. "Well," she began, a small yawn escaping her, "To be frank, I was just warning Wakana to avoid Blaise."

Akio was silent. He knew what the woman meant by this, eyebrows furrowed. "She argued against that point then, I assume?"

"She did. I was worried that you'd tried to hurt her and although I assumed the worst out of people here, I feel like she's the one who'd be innocent out of all of us possibly being 'murderers'." Kiyoko then averted her gaze, saddened. "I ended up making her mad, and I left the chat before she could apologize."

"I see." Akio's composure loosened, the stiffness on his face dropping. He honestly understood what Kiyoko was saying despite it annoying him. "You didn't want anyone to hurt Wakana."

"Even if we have our differences, I know she's the one who'd be most hurt by anyone here." The recreation worker clenched into her fists, irritated. "I just had a hunch she's not the type of person who'd be a killer, no matter how hypocritical it sounds from me."

"Y-you never apologized to her, did you?" Masako was teary. "T-that sounds so s-sad… I'm sorry, Kiyoko…"

Hitomu stroked his cats' fur. "I see. I'm assuming this conversation between you and Wakana does not have to do with the murder then."

"We're assuming that…" Misaki bit into her lips. "Well, if she's not lying, that is."

A loud sound was heard.

Everyone was forced to look to Watari. The man had his hands clapped together, smile widened and that of a sneaky grin. It was obvious there was malice behind such expression.

"She's not lying," he began, tone condescending and arrogant, "She's telling us the complete truth."

"Really…?" Keishi couldn't help but be doubtful.

Yume shrugged. "I mean, she wouldn't have asked Monokuma to reveal her conversation with Wakana then."

"True," Tomoyo replied, a smile on her lips. "I don't doubt Kiyoko. I think she's innocent."

"Moe, you need to at least doubt her a little." Watari was shaking his head, sighing. Noticing the saddened look on the woman's face, he quickly cleared his throat and continued. His eyes were fixated on Akio. "What do you think?"

Akio's eyes widened. "Huh? I'm not entirely sure…"

 _I can't make a 100% correct judgement, but if she is lying… then why? It's easier if she's not lying though. Hm. I'll have to trust what Kiyoko said at least in this moment then._

 _The trial might go much more quicker and more efficiently if we trust her too. I'll be able to avenge Wakana quicker this way._

Akio smiled sweetly at the recreation worker. "I think we should trust Kiyoko then. If she wanted to lie to us, she wouldn't have asked Monokuma to reveal their conversation beforehand."

"I mean…" Kyatchi had a brow raised. "... Maybe she did that to trick us?"

"The risks of Monokuma actually listening to her would most likely deter her," the actor explained, shaking his head. "Besides, if we were to ask Monokuma ourselves to reveal the conversation, Monokuma would most likely say that it isn't needed because Kiyoko already 'explained' what happened."

All eyes were turned to the overseer.

The bear laughed, nodding his head rapidly. "That's right, Aki! Like I said, I'm not gonna do jackshit for anyone here!"

Yume snorted. "Pssh, you sure?"

The cat keeper smiled awkwardly at the group. He was hesitant, but nonetheless acknowledged Akio's explanation as he placed his pets gently down to the ground. "I suppose we can set aside Wakana's message then. Shall we talk about Wakana's murder itself then? We might have a clearer grasp of who could've been the killer this way."

"G-good idea!" Shinjimae praised the cat keeper with ease, smile wide. "W-we should d-do that then."

The screenwriter seemed content with this, quickly leaning her body closer to the group. "I think we peddle back on where Wakana was killed."

"Right…" Keishi nodded, eyes averted to the ground. "I can agree with that."

"She was either killed inside of the library or outside…" Kyatchi frowned. "Why would she be killed outside?"

Watari laughed, standing up and spinning around. He threw the juggler a sly wink, almost seductive. "Well, let's discuss it, shall we?"

 _I don't have any qualms with that, despite it being said by Watari._ Akio smiled, a surge of determination rushing through his body. _Let's see…_

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Duct Tape | Knife | Blanchard/Viorel's Chores | Trash Can**

 **Kiyoko:** So, what piece of evidence could support the fact that Wakana was murdered inside the library or not?

 **Ayako:** I would say that because of the _**carbon monoxide**_?

 **Kyatchi:** Why is that a question?

 **Ayako:** H-hey, just _**be quiet**_!

 **Tomoyo:** It could be though. The carbon monoxide was there _**in order to make Blaise fall unconscious**_ , nonetheless Wakana.

 **Viorel:** What if _**Wakana went outside**_ though?

 **Keishi:** I somehow doubt that…

 **Hitomu:** To be fair, it would be _**much more easier**_ to be caught if the killer killed Wakana outside. Besides, I do not see any reason for Wakana to go outside.

 **Masako:** T-to add into that point, I think the carbon monoxide would hit Wakana's system before she had the chance to go outside as well… She's more… well, _**frail**_ in comparison to Blaise, so I think she'd fall unconscious much more easier than him.

 **Misaki:** Huh, really? Well then! That's interesting!

 **Yume:** Well, if not the carbon monoxide, then what?

 **Shinjimae:** M-maybe, perhaps, t-there's something t-that was signaled her being choked inside? M-maybe i-if she was killed inside the l-library, then _**s-something was used to cause B-Blaise from waking up**_ or something?

 **Watari:** Hm, that's a possibility~

 **Blanchard:** I think I can conclude that you know the answer already, Master Watari.

 **Watari:** Yes, that's right.

 **Keishi:** Why can't he just help us…?

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Duct Tape-**

 **Akio:** I agree with that!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio quickly sent forth the truth bullet before explaining himself. "I'm sure you all have noticed this, but there was duct tape at the crime scene."

"Right…" The cat keeper eyed the screen for a moment, nodding his head. "I see. You're trying to say that Wakana had been rendered speechless. The duct tape was taped over her mouth to keep her from waking you up."

Shinjimae trembled a bit in his seat, fidgeting. "T-that's horrible… So the k-killer choked her to death a-and m-muffled her voice…"

The detective grinned. "It does make sense, but isn't it also risky to kill her inside the library? You could've woken up."

"E-excuse me, Watari, but t-that's not possible," Masako explained, albeit in a muffled voice. "B-Blaise is unconscious, having blacked out. It is much more riskier to kill Wakana outside too… W-Wakana blacked out as well, and that means the killer would've had to drag her outside i-if they did so."

"I understand, Masako," the detective began, chuckling, "but Decebel and Ayako are our suspects, aren't they? The third person wouldn't mind if the duo had seen them, correct?"

Akio shook his head. "Other people could've gone outside to either fetch a snack or walk around. The killer would rather risk it inside the library than to drag Wakana's body around."

Tomoyo pursed her lips, pondering on those words. She slowly came into nodding her head. "That is true…"

"I'm still unsure about believing that," Kiyoko began, crossing her arms, "but it will have to do, I guess."

"I mean, you can't take everything completely," Akio admitted, smiling. He had closed the tab of the truth bullet shown right at his face. "Just take everything I said into consideration. I know I'd be wrong in some things. Not everyone's perfect."

The recreation worker eyed Akio for a long moment, then scoffing. She turned her head away from the man. "True."

"Okay, so we assume that Wakana was killed inside of the library." Watari drummed his fingers. "She was choked to death and had her body messed up in the library after a careful consideration of you and her falling asleep. Ayako and Decebel are backing up this third person as well, correct?"

"I'm still inclined to believe Decebel's the killer though…" Yume murmured underneath her breath, suspicious.

"Hmph." Kyatchi was tugging at his bandannas again. "I want this case to be over with, honestly. If only our actual killer was honest like Decebel… Well, if the killer themselves aren't Decebel, that is."

Blanchard sighed. "I am the killer though."

"Sure…" The juggler smirked dryly. "Keep telling yourself that, and maybe you'll end up killing someone who actually wants you to be a killer."

The eyepatch was switched. Viorel was glaring at the shorter man. "Please keep your mouth shut-"

"Viorel, enough." Blanchard forcibly switched back. He had punched himself straight in the face. It would've been comedic if not for how indifferent the butler looked. "Do not insult Master Kyatchi."

"What a show," Kyatchi retorted, rolling his eyes.

Hitomu cleared his throat, trying to bring back attention to the case. His smile was awkward. "Well, to explain this case briefly- Blaise and Wakana were inside of the library when they fell unconscious to the carbon monoxide. That is when the killer came in and choked Wakana to death. The killer then cut her limbs apart and stabbed a flower into her, correct?"

Akio nodded. "Right."

"If that's the case, then that solves Wakana's murder." Hitomu chuckled. "We just have to think about who killed her and pin them down."

"There's also the matter of what was missing from the kitchen," Tomoyo added, albeit with an awkward smile. "Uh, am I right about that?"

The cat keeper smiled. "Yes, that's correct."

"N-no one knows what's m-missing from the kitchen though," Shinjimae said, a worried look on his face.

"Oh! I know!" Misaki was raising her hands high.

Hitomu turned to the surgeon. "What is it, Misaki?"

The surgeon smiled widely. "What if the thing that was missing from the kitchen was rope? We never found what choked Wakana, right?"

"Haha, good try."

Misaki's eyes widened. She found herself staring at Watari, the detective shaking his head. He was wagging his finger, a mocking grin on his lips. It was obvious that he knew the correct answer.

"That is certainly not the case," he said, his tone that of amusement and glee. "And that is because of a simple reason."

"Really?" Akio frowned. He despised how the detective acted so smug. "And why is that so, Mr. Smartypants?"

"Like I never heard of that." The shorter man turned to meet his gaze. "Then why don't you tell her, Aki? You must know what I am talking about, right?"

Akio was silent.

 _I don't, but hell if I'm gonna admit that._ He cupped his chin, staring hard at his computer screen. _What reason could it be…? Hm…_

* * *

 **PSYCHE TAXI**

…

 **Question 1: Was Wakana choked to death?**

 **A. No, she died from blood loss.**

 **[B. Yes.]**

 **C. No, she was stabbed to death.**

…

 **GOT IT!**

…

 **Question 2: Can a rope be found anywhere other than the kitchen?**

 **A. No.**

 **[B. Yes.]**

…

 **GOT IT!**

…

 **Question 3: Is it possible for a wound to look like rope burns?**

 **[A. Yes.]**

 **B. No.**

…

 **GOT IT!**

…

 **Akio:** _The answer's right there!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"I got it."

Watari whistled. "Ooh, really? Then tell me and the rest of us here, Aki."

"I know that already," the actor sighed, rolling his eyes. "Well, the thing is, do we really know if a rope choked Wakana?"

"I mean…" Misaki looked to the screen. "The Case File said so, right?"

Akio chuckled. "Can we really trust Monokuma with this? Besides, what a 'knotted rope' is can mean anything. Words these days hold different meanings, and people hold different interpretations of a phrase or word."

"That's true." Tomoyo smiled at the actor, nodding her head. "People hold different interpretations, and that is why I have to specify what emotion I want an actor to emote in a line or such."

"Ah, I see…" Hitomu acknowledged the woman's words with a smile. His cats were happily moving around the table. "That does make sense. I understand."

The actor smiled back. "Right, it is exactly as how Tomoyo described it. Monokuma could either be lying to us, or he is purposely messing with us with how we interpret these words."

Misaki tilted her head, baffled. "So, if it wasn't the rope that was missing inside of the kitchen, then what?"

"Ah, I-I'm not sure about that one yet," Akio began, awkwardly chuckling, "however, I can prove that it wasn't a rope that was missing."

The brunette then crossed his arms. "There are other things that can cause a rope burn, or, as I'll put it- friction burn."

"O-oh!" Masako's eyes widened with realization. "I-if you are talking about friction burns, t-then there are such things as carpet burns and rug burns… y-you can also get it from clothing."

"Huh, I'm not surprised you'd know this." Watari chuckled, amused. "You are the Ultimate Survivalist, after all."

Kyatchi raised a brow. "Is that a compliment?"

The detective grinned slyly towards the juggler. "Well, how do you interpret it?"

"Ooh," the juggler whistled, "How comedic."

"Hm~ So Aki is saying that Wakana could've been choked by anything." Watari laughed for a moment, but suddenly changed his tone into that of seriousness. His eyes were staring straight into the actor. "Am I wrong?"

Akio was taken aback by the intense glare thrown at him, but regained composure and smiled. "That's right. If anything, the killer could've used their clothes to choke Wakana. Friction burns are possible from clothing, like what Masako said."

"R-right!" The cowardly woman nodded her head.

"But that also means Wakana could've still be killed from a rope," Kiyoko countered, frowning. "Right?"

The brunette sighed. "Possibly, but I think it's more likely the killer wrapped their clothing into that of a makeshift rope and killed Wakana that way."

"It makes sense," Yume said, speaking for no one but herself.

"Well… at least we can cross a rope having not been the one missing from the kitchen," Hitomu cheerfully said, trying to stay optimistic. "We also were able to realize how easily the killer could've find something to choke Wakana then."

"Using their own clothing, huh?" Kyatchi smirked. "How scandalous. Having used their own clothing is quite perverted of them. Having worn it and such…"

"Gross," Ayako murmured, underneath her breath. "That's gross!"

"At least you weren't the killer," the juggler mused. "Because if you were, you would've stripped and used your pretty little clothes to choke her."

Ayako glared at the man. She looked about ready to slap him.

"So, we technically solved how Wakana died, but…" Tomoyo pursed her lips. "Who's the killer? If not Decebel or Ayako, then who?"

"That is quite the question," Blanchard mused. "But-"

"No, it's not you." The brunette instantly shut him down. "It can't be you nor Ayako."

Kiyoko frowned. "Then who?"

Akio bit into his lips. He honestly didn't know. He couldn't figure it out. It was on the tip of his tongue, yet that sweet taste of victory was far.

 _What could connect us to the murderer? Just what could it be?_

Akio held his breath. He had to do something.

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #001 | Trash Can | Knife | Misaki's Testimony**

 **Misaki:** So, uh… Who's the killer?

 **Blanchard:** I have said it time and time again, but _**it's me**_.

 **Kiyoko:** Why're you so inclined to make us believe that?

 **Viorel:** Obviously, because _**he's honest**_?

 **Blanchard:** Yes, I am telling the truth. Please believe and vote for me.

 **Watari:** Aw, are you guys at a dead end here?

 **Tomoyo:** Why do you look _**so happy**_ about it?

 **Watari:** Maybe because there is something obvious you guys are missing, hm? Moe, my actions are obvious to you, so don't question me for the sake of questioning me.

 **Tomoyo:** I-I…

 **Keishi:** Uh, why won't you tell us anything though? It'll _**help**_ …

 **Watari:** Now where's the fun in that, Keishi?

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph. This is _**ridiculous**_.

 **Watari:** Do you need a hint? Yes, or no?

 **Ayako:** You really are having fun with this!

 **Watari:** Haha, I am! This is fun. Alright then, I'll tell you my little hint, and that is- _**why did Decebel admit that he was the killer now**_ , and not earlier?

 **Tomoyo:** What? Why…?

 **Ayako:** Well, obviously, because _**you guys caught him**_!

 **Tomoyo:** Was it because the killer told him too? But if so… why now…? It's not like [ **they told him to at that exact moment]** …

 **Yume:** That's _**impossible**_.

 **Shinjimae:** Y-yeah… I-it doesn't sound possible…

 **Watari:** What's the reason, I wonder~

 **Kiyoko:** … _**Quit smiling like that**_.

 **-Statement: "... they told him to at that exact moment…"-**

 **Akio:** This is the reason!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"Maybe…" Akio's eyes widened. "Is it…?"

"H-huh?" Tomoyo's eyes furrowed. She looked worried as she turned to the actor. "Um, did I say something wrong?"

"No, that's not it." The brunette shook his head, stern. His eyes were focused on the detective. "Are you trying to say that the killer told Decebel to confess at that exact moment?"

"So mind reading is possible? Woah." Kyatchi smiled, nodding his head before slowly applauding the man. "I see. I never knew. Good work, Blaise, good work."

"Oh my god, no, it's not that." Akio rolled his eyes. "What Watari's implying is that Monokuma built in a system where accomplices and murderers could work with one another."

"What?" Hitomu's eyes widened. He pointed to his computer. "You mean, the system here benefits the killer and those two? But we only have the truth bullets, stimulator, and that's it…?"

The actor shook his head. "No, not exactly. There are much more to come, and Monokuma even confirmed that. Well… in this case, there may be more to come, but one of them's hidden, and what's hidden is a mechanism where the killer can interact with their accomplices!"

Masako was shocked, hands over her mouth.

"That's…" Even the juggler was speechless, unable to finish his sentence.

"T-the evidence was in this trial the entire time?" Shinjimae's face paled. "I-I should've been looking a-at everyone's s-screens then…"

"I doubt we can," Watari said, assuring the animal whisperer with a small smile. "You see, Monokuma made sure that only the murderer and accomplices would know of this. If someone as technologically advanced as Monokuma can function, then such a thing as a system utilized through mind is possible."

"What?" Ayako blinked a couple of times. "H-how do you-"

Watari threw his head back, laughing.

"Well, obviously because I have the mechanic!" The detective grinned wryly at Ayako, suddenly standing up. His hands were slammed to the table, eyes glittering a malicious hue. "You know how useful it is to be Monokuma's witness?"

Everyone was speechless.

"W-what the hell are you talking about?" Akio managed to say, sweating. "What does that mean?"

"Don't focus on that, Aki." Watari chuckled. He winked at the actor before suddenly turning his computer back, making it face the entire group. "You see this?"

Akio frowned. He took a look at the screen, eyes then widening.

Right there, on the screen, was a small message at the bottom, hidden at the very left of the corner. It was flashing white, the simple, small word 'Chatroom' there on the screen. It continued to blink, flickering on and off. It was almost mocking the group who was staring at it, dumbfounded.

"I-I don't have anything like that," Tomoyo began, shocked. "H-how does it work?"

Watari grinned, his tone devious and sly. "Like I said, the system utilizes our minds. If I want to message, I just think about what to say, who to send it to, and send it. Simple, right?"

"But…" The screenwriter looked hesitant. "This is…"

"Oh, and if you're wondering who I message…" Watari smirked. "... I think that's obvious as to who."

"Monokuma." Akio turned to the overseer. He didn't care at all, instead smiling at the actor in amusement. The actor looked back to Watari. "Why?"

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know, my dear Aki." The detective snickered, slowly moving back to his seat. "And, if you are all wondering- no, I'm not the killer. Wouldn't that be too obvious, hm?"

"It would…" Kyatchi began, averting his gaze. "... But this is ridiculous. How are we supposed to believe that you're chatting with Monokuma?"

Watari winked at the man. "Aw, now that's easy~"

A moment passed before the screen suddenly changed. Everyone was brought to a chatroom, the name at the top labeled 'Monokuma/Watari', and within seconds a message popped up.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)**

 **(Suspended Messages…)**

 **Watari: See?**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Akio frowned, eyeing the message. He looked over to the detective. "... I do wonder if I want to know what you and Monokuma were talking about throughout the trial."

"Does it matter?" Watari rolled his eyes, having folded his arms. "If I had the luxury of showing you such information, then Monokuma wouldn't have suspended the rest of our messages here. See?"

Akio noticed the words 'Suspended Messages' near the top. The detective was right. It seemed like messages from earlier couldn't be retrieved or seen.

Monokuma laughed from the distance, swinging his empty glass around and around. "Puhuhuhuhu! Like I'd make it that easy for you shits to figure out! If you knew what he and I were talking about, then this would be over before you know it!"

The overseer then stopped, now staring at Watari. His red eye began to glow, shining in malice. "Watari, you really shouldn't have done that though. Now they'll be even more suspicious of you."

"Like I care?" The detective snickered, moving the computer screen back to his side. "Some of the information you've given to me are crucial to this trial's result. You want nothing more than to induce despair in them, huh?"

Monokuma was silent for a moment, then smiling. He adjusted himself on his seat. "Good point. I rather not have a trial where guesses are just thrown left and right anyways."

The detective clapped his hands together. "See? I told you!"

"What is this…?" Hitomu was completely taken aback. "Watari, are you working under Monokuma?"

Watari stopped. He slowly turned to look at the cat keeper, expression suddenly having been shifted. The smile in his lips had disappeared. The man was now completely stern, eyes having been lifted from their usual deceitful hue.

"What does it look like to you?" He began, grave. "Is it help? Is it betrayal?"

Kiyoko frowned. "Definitely betrayal."

"W-well…" Masako averted her gaze. "I-it sounds like such…"

"Betrayal, huh?" Watari eyed the recreation worker for a moment. A sigh escaped his lips, his expression darkening. "No matter what I say, it is up to you guys to decide. My way of helping you all will emit different responses, and honestly- I couldn't care less. As long as I keep this up, this will guarantee at least 'that'."

Ayako couldn't help but hold her breath. "... 'That'...?"

"Well, let's not talk about me." The detective grinned, his tone suddenly perky as usual. "You guys know how to figure out who's the murderer now, right?"

A moment passed.

"Oh!" Akio snapped out of his daze. "R-right…"

The actor looked around the room. "Alright," he said, clearing his throat, "let's all check one another's screens then."

Hitomu lifted his head up. "Is everyone alright with that?"

Focus seemed to roll onto Ayako and Decebel.

"Stop staring at us- Ouch!"

"Please be quiet, Viorel." Blanchard bowed his head down. "Please, do what you must. We cannot possibly hope to avoid this anyhow."

"Seriously?" Viorel cried, shocked. "You admit defeat so easily… Sheesh, Blanchard, you always make me worry."

Ayako was in denial (which was telling from her betrayed expression), but was forced to stay silent.

Everyone, though a moment late, began to move. Everyone was suspecting the others and speaking to them, checking the computer screens.

As expected, Ayako and Decebel's computer screens were alike to Watari's. There was the word 'Chatroom' flashing in white.

What's not expected, however, was the third person.

Tomoyo's eyes widened as she suddenly stood up, her chair falling to the ground. "N-no way…"

Shock was written all over everyone's faces. The only people who didn't seem surprised were Watari and the two accomplices. The butler had his head down, making it impossible to see his expression. Ayako, on the other hand, looked frustrated, her eyes tearing up again.

Watari, however, seemed conflicted more than anything. His face contained that which had a mixture of expressions- disinterest, pity, amusement?

It was hard to tell.

"Kiyoko…" Akio's heart was throbbing. His entire face had went pale. "I-it was you after all…?"

Kiyoko eyed the group silently. She hadn't spoke once. Her composure hasn't disappeared either. She acted entirely the same, expression that of ease and rest.

 _So it was her… Ha…_

"Why?" Akio found himself breathless. His hands were clenched into fists. His stomach was churning, and he was lightheaded. "Was it because of that damn argument between you two? Was it because of me or some shit? Why?"

Kiyoko continued to eye the group.

"T-that can't be possible…" Tomoyo's entire body was shaking. "I-it must be a mistake…"

"Hey…" The actor felt sweat trickling down his face. His face was turning red. That silence was provoking him. "Admit it! Are you the goddamn killer or not?!"

The recreation worker finally began to move, a sigh escaping her lips.

"You… Don't get so worked up over a claim."

Akio frowned. The woman was eyeing him, indifferent in her usual blunt tone and expression. It was annoying him further and further.

 _I finally got the killer down… She must be the killer. I need to pin her down!_

"It's not a claim," the actor said, retorting the woman. "You're the one who has that goddamn mechanism like Ayako and Decebel, so obviously you're the killer."

"Am I?" Kiyoko glared at the man. "Is that really the case?"

"Acting so confident?" The actor couldn't help but smirk. He finally had pinned the killer down, and he was just about ready to claw at her neck. "Then why don't you show your conversation with Decebel to us? Or are you unwilling to do such a thing?"

The recreation worker frowned. "Do I have to do such a thing? Can't you just ask Decebel then in that case?"

"U-uh…" Tomoyo was cupping her hands. She was nervous, face covered in sweat. "Guys…"

"What, are you afraid?" Akio's voice was breathless, his heart continuing to throb. "It's already telling that you're the killer. I fucking get it- you have the motivation to do such a thing. If not for the motive thrown at us, then the fact that you believe I'm a killer and that you argued with Wakana!"

Kiyoko rolled her eyes. "Just because of that? What if Ayako and Decebel are the killers though?"

"Huh? Are you stupid? Those two are fucking-"

"Blaise, calm down."

The actor stopped, eyes turning to Tomoyo. The woman flinched at his sight.

 _Right… Tomoyo's close to Kiyoko._

"Okay," the brunette said, having taken a deep breath. "Kiyoko, you're the only one who has that mechanism other than Watari, Decebel, and Ayako. We confirmed that Watari's working under Monokuma and that he hasn't contacted the other two. Decebel will follow any orders given to him, and Ayako, although suspicious, is most likely not the killer, moreso an accomplice. She already admitted her guilt anyways."

"I…" Tomoyo shook her head. Her eyes were beginning to water. "I can't believe that. Kiyoko… It can't be, right?"

Kyatchi cleared his throat. "W-well, Monokuma, Watari's not lying to us in any way, right?"

Monokuma laughed, throwing his hands up. "Yes, that's right there on the mark! He's not lying. He has nothing to do with this case."

"I see…" Yume murmured. "So it was Kiyoko?"

"How do you know that for sure?" Blanchard asked, eyeing the nihilist. "Even if you were to see our conversations, if she was involved in this case to note and was the one who supposedly told me to confess, how are you sure she's the killer? She might've did that in order to throw you off that I am actually the killer."

Akio snorted. "Isn't that stupid?"

Viorel suddenly came on stage. "And why do you think that, you fuck-"

"Fudge, Viorel."

 _Well, because it's stupid? Guess I'll have to answer them legitimately if I want to properly exact vengeance for Wakana…_

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why is it impossible that Kiyoko's demand was a ploy?**

 **A. Because it could've been deciphered.**

 **[B. Because it risks Decebel's chances.]**

 **C. Because it risks Kiyoko's chances.**

 **D. Because one or the other wouldn't have known it was a ploy.**

 **Akio:** _That's the answer!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"Because, obviously, if Decebel were the killer, then their chances of escaping has already been ruined." Akio glared straight at Kiyoko. "We almost voted for them earlier, remember?"

Kiyoko was silent, simply glaring back at the brunette.

"Just show us the conversation already then." Akio stopped to grin. "But then again, if you say no this already shows your guilt."

"Kiyoko… This can't be…" Tomoyo was shaking her head. "If you're the killer…"

"Are you sure you pinned down the right person?"

Akio scoffed. "I'm confident in that. There's no one else who had the motivation to kill Wakana of all people other than you. Why though? Is it just because of a fucking argument?"

"You're really that confident?" The recreation worker sighed. "You haven't figured out everything, so you're just jumping to conclusions."

Hitomu bit into his lips. "You mean… the missing thing from the kitchen."

"That's right." Kiyoko nodded. "You still haven't figured that out."

"Tsk."

 _That's right… We don't know shit about that. My victory of sweet vengeance is just right there too…_

"If you can't figure out what was missing from the kitchen, then how do you know exactly if what you said is true?"

Akio frowned, now silent.

"D-don't worry about that," Shinjimae said, suddenly stepping into the conversation. "M-maybe i-if we talk a-about what could be m-missing, we can f-figure it out?"

"Well… I don't know what would be missing…" Keishi sighed. "It's worth a shot though."

The actor sighed. He honestly just wanted to vote Kiyoko and get this over it, but he supposed his sweet vengeance could wait. He wanted to completely throw her down, render her speechless.

For Wakana's sake, he had to do this.

* * *

 **PINPOINT THE MISTAKE**

 **Hitomu:** So, what could be missing from the kitchen? I know it isn't the _**knife**_ …

 **Kyatchi:** Definitely _**food**_. I'm a genius, aren't I?

 **Ayako:** Yeah, right.

 **Shinjimae:** M-maybe a _**lighter**_ …?

 **Yume:** Maybe a _**pot**_ or _**kettle**_?

 **Kiyoko:** Well, it's not like a _**Mason jar**_ is missing either, right?

 **Watari:** Supposedly, maybe what's missing was actually _**nothing**_ , hm?

 **Tomoyo:** I… I somehow doubt that.

 **Masako:** Maybe it was a-an _**utensil**_ or _**plate**_ after all…?

 **Blanchard:** Is that really of concern?

 **Misaki:** Possibly, it was _**another knife**_?

 **Hitomu:** I'm… I'm not sure…

 **Akio:** _Hm… Alright, that's off._

 **ANSWER: "... Mason jar…"**

 **Akio:** I hear it!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio frowned, instantly staring back at the recreation worker. "Now, isn't that specific, Kiyoko?"

Kiyoko bit into her lips. "What? Am I not allowed to be specific or something?"

The actor laughed. "Why would you even be specific about a jar of all things? I would've thought you'd relate it to the case. Maybe a possible weapon or item that can be used inside the crime scene?"

The recreation worker averted her gaze.

Akio grinned. He pinned the woman down.

His eyes looked down at Kiyoko. He noticed something quite interesting.

"Don't you also have a bag?" He asked, smiling. "Maybe you could care to show us it? That jar you speculated was gone from the kitchen?"

Kiyoko glanced down at her bag. She pursed her lips, slowly looking up to Akio. "And why do I have to do that?"

"I think everyone here's curious." Akio chuckled. "Wanna ask?"

Kiyoko frowned. She eyed the group who continued to stare at her in anticipation, breaths stalled.

The woman quickly shook her head. "So what though? There's no use for a jar."

"Is there? We'll find out."

The woman was hesitant, but slowly grabbed ahold of her bag and handed it to Akio. Everyone crowded around him as he slowly opened the flap.

There it was, the Mason jar.

"Huh?" Masako's voice rang throughout the room. "T-the jar's filled with something…"

"If you need to know, that's alcohol."

Akio looked back to the recreation worker. She was now staring at him, her eyes dull.

"Why?"

Kiyoko frowned. She instantly grabbed back the jar and walked a few feet away from the group. "Do I really need a reason why? It honestly has nothing to do with the case."

"What're you planning to do with it?" Ayako asked. She genuinely seemed confused, lips pursed and eyebrows furrowed.

Kiyoko was silent.

"So you are the killer." Akio pointed accusingly at the woman. "So you're the one who killed Wakana!"

The recreation worker scoffed, holding the jar firmly in her hands. "So, what if I did? That doesn't deny the fact that you're a murderer, nonetheless everyone here as well."

"W-what're you talking about?" Tomoyo was hurt. "That's just based on mere speculation!"

"Do you really believe that?" The woman frowned, staring at the screenwriter. "Besides, just look at how Blaise is acting right now. Isn't he just bloodthirsty?"

"Do I have no right to be?" Akio clenched into his fists. "You fucking killed Wakana for a stupid reason! Couldn't you just kill me instead? What, do you just want my fucking status to go lower and lower? Everyone already suspects me of shit anyways!"

"See?" Kiyoko's lips began to curve into a smile. A mocking, broken smile. "He's acting like a murderer! You should all be focusing on him instead!"

Masako was horrified, cowering. "G-guys…"

Akio shook his head. "Fuck, why did you kill Wakana? Why make her death so horrible?"

"You really want to know?" Kiyoko chuckled, fingers moving carelessly around the jar. "It's because of you. You're the murderer. You're a serial killer, and… Hell, no, actually, everyone here's a killer."

"What…?" Tomoyo sniffled. "What does that mean…?"

"Are you crazy?" Kyatchi asked, baffled. "What the hell are you talking about, woman?"

"Don't you realize it?" Kiyoko was beginning to laugh more and more, voice becoming more and more breathless. "You are all murderers. Even if you don't realize it, you're all killers. You're all worthless scum. It's not only Blaise who's a murderer, but you all as well."

"What?" Hitomu's smile fell. He honestly didn't know how else to respond. "You believe that…?"

"Well, obviously!" The woman threw her hands out. "I realized it so much earlier right after Blaise was classified as such. I honestly doubted Wakana at first… but I eventually came into the realization that she herself was a serial killer! I was the only one who isn't one!"

"I… I quite don't understand," Blanchard began, a worried look on his face. "Master Kiyoko, your reasoning for killing Master Wakana was because of your care for your family. I have yet to hear of your… rather strange mindset on her being a serial killer."

"You're insane," was all Yume said.

"Y-yeah!" Ayako was fidgeting about in place. "Y-you said that you wanted to kill to stop Monokuma from potentially harming your family and that you won't target me if I helped you… T-that's why I told you about Wakana meeting Blaise! You wanted a perfect victim! Y-you never said anything like this! Did you snap or something?"

"I didn't snap at all," Kiyoko said, now glaring at the fashion model. "I came to the realization that this world needs to be rid of people like you. I rather be a murderer who kills criminals than to stand here surrounded by them."

"But…" The shorter woman couldn't help but flinch. "W-wasn't it only Blaise who was called a murderer? It's not even proven that he's one!"

"You keep changing your opinion about him. Is it because you expect him to forgive you now?" Kiyoko sighed, shaking her head. "You really are scum."

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Akio's face was red. Anger was overwhelming his body completely. "So you fucking killed Wakana because you thought she was a killer?! Watari only said that I was one!"

The recreation worker scoffed. "You could easily come into the conclusion that if someone here was a killer, then the rest are. I know this is fact, and I am not going to explain to you why."

"That's fucked up!" The actor screamed, rage boiling in his head. "You literally just killed her based on your stupid assumptions! You're the killer! Not any of us here!"

Kiyoko chuckled. She placed the jar slowly down to the table. "Like I said, this is fact, and I am not going to explain why I believe it so. Your behavior is already telling enough as it is. It makes me wonder if Wakana would've acted the same way if you died."

"What the fuck?" Akio froze. A moment passed between his registering her words and between his stunned state. "You really believe she's a killer?"

"I won't answer it any longer." Kiyoko's gaze was focused down to the table. "This trial was fun while it lasted. Even if I was caught, that doesn't mean I can't do anymore than I am right now."

"What?" Tomoyo's voice was shaking. "What does that mean?"

Kiyoko was silent for a moment. She began to open the jar, holding it firmly in her hands afterwards.

She swung her body around, and the alcohol was thrown. Liquids flew everywhere in the air, tainting the ground and tables around.

Keishi couldn't help but worry. "What are you…?"

Kiyoko grinned. "Don't worry."

"Wait…" Masako eyed the scene, only to be taken aback within seconds. "K-Kiyoko, wait!"

Akio's eyes widened. The woman had taken out a matchbox.

 _What the fuck?_ The actor's heart was pounding, eyes diluted in fear. _Is she planning to kill us all?!_

"Hey-!"

"AW HELL NAW!"

Before anyone had a second to register what was going on, Kiyoko was suddenly at the air, the matchbox gone from her hands and her body unable to move. Two monochrome hands had roughly grabbed ahold of the recreation worker, lifting her by the arms. She was now hanging up in the air, unable to free herself.

Kiyoko helplessly kicked at the air before her attention was focused down. She was growling with her teeth out, targeted at one specific person- "M-Monokuma!"

There was Monokuma, his foot pressed down harshly on a button. It was a golden button that was shaped like a skull- a symbolism of death. The overseer was glaring madly at the woman, claws out from his paws.

"Who the fuck are you to mess with my children?!" He cried, voice low and growly. "Murder is accepted in my little world, but in a trial?! This is a killing game, not a 'end everyone in one hit' game! God, did I not make a limit of how many people you can kill?!"

"Uh…" Misaki was clearly eager to ruin the tension, cold sweat raining down her face. "Not really?"

"Oh fuck, seriously?!" Monokuma's mouth hung completely agape. He then threw out a monstrous, animalistic scream as he kicked at the air. "FUCK!"

Everyone jumped at the sudden scream. It was too high-pitched and monstrous for their ears to comprehend. It was horrifying.

"Well, that fucking makes sense then." The overseer's smile was bitter. He looked back up to Kiyoko. "Let me guess then- you planned on killing everyone here. If it weren't for the class trial, you would've killed them once sooner."

Kiyoo scoffed, eyes still glaring bullets. "Why the hell should I tell you?"

"You don't need to." Monokuma chuckled, now looking back to the Ultimates. "I'm watching everything. I know everything you guys do, think, plan… Everything. It's a fact that you planned to kill Wakana to have people frame Akio as the murderer, and then when the attention is focused on him you'll kill more and more. People will continue to blame Akio, and you'll be free to murder."

"Seriously?" Viorel suddenly found himself talking. "Fuck, what's wrong with her?"

Blanchard didn't even try to correct him.

"The class trial would've been easy to avoid if it weren't for Watari." The bear's tone was now mocking, almost carefree and playful to the point of sounding like a toddler. "He knows everything already, and so he works as my little helper."

"I-I can't believe that…" Shinjimae stuttered. He was hugging tightly onto Saki. "... I-it's just not p-possible…"

Hitomu shook his head, attention thrown at the detective. "So was it true that Blaise's a murderer?"

Watari eyed him for a moment. He then scoffed, throwing him a wry smirk. "I really rather not answer. You people always interpret thing in either the correct or wrong way anyways~"

"Give credit where it's due though," the bear said, amused. "You all participated greatly in this trial. It's a shame that the murderer herself didn't press for her innocence more though… It wasn't as heart-racing as I wanted it to! Then again, that's probably because I didn't explain what the punishment is. A double-sided coin, I must say!"

"Right…" Kyatchi cautiously eyed Kiyoko. "What is this punishment anyway? It's not to write 'I'm sorry for killing someone' on the board ten times, right?"

"Of course not, idiot." Monokuma groaned, rolling his eyes. "It's a shame though. The idea of what a punishment is can vary from person to person. The word 'punishment' is a joke to others, but to some it isn't. Maybe that's why people wanted to vote earlier! They didn't know of the consequences!"

"Of course they didn't," the detective mused. "It was too vague for them to know for sure… Then again, for a trial, the punishment should've been at least thought of as 'severe'."

"What could Monokuma do though?" Tomoyo asked, her expression disheartened. "What sort of punishment will Kiyoko get?"

Monokuma was silent for a moment.

A few seconds passed.

Suddenly, the bear began laughing. He was laughing loudly into the alcohol-smelling room, throwing his head back and having his paws clenching right at his stomach.

He was laughing for hours on end. It was endless.

"This will be so despair-inducing!" He cried, almost a full on two minutes of laughing having been induced. "Aw man! THIS here is one of the reasons why I was so vague about the punishment!"

"What…" Ayako was trembling. "... does that mean?"

Monokuma's mouth began to drool. "Pfft! Obviously, if someone is killed, that person would want that killer to die, right?!"

Kiyoko's face paled.

"Kiyoko and Akio were so gung-ho about this shit as well!" The bear grinned. "Justice will be served! The murderers will pay for their actions!"

"W-wait a second…" Masako found herself unable to breathe, her entire face white. "A-are you suggesting t-that Kiyoko will die…?"

"Of course I am! Haven't you guys ever heard of the death penalty?!"

"Death penalty?!" Tomoyo jumped at those words, eyes wide in fear. She looked up to Kiyoko, then back to the overseer. "M-Monokuma, excuse me, but this can't be the case! It's not moral!"

Monokuma laughed. "Such a controversial topic, eh Kyatchi!"

"Don't speak to me," was all the juggler said, having ignored the bear completely.

"I don't mind dying."

Tomoyo was shocked. Her lips were quivering as she helplessly tried to find her friend's gaze. "K-Kiyoko? Why?!"

Kiyoko was silent. She looked down at Tomoyo before shaking her head. "I honestly couldn't care less about dying… That is, except for the fact that you guys aren't dead!"

The screenwriter was stunned, forced into silence. A mixture of fear and disappointment was on her face.

"Why can't you let me kill them?!" Kiyoko screamed, anger suddenly directed back at Monokuma. "You want us to kill one another! I'm doing you a favor here!"

"Girl, this is a killing game. Your sense of 'justice' or whatever shit you spew means nothing to my rules." Monokuma wagged a finger back and forth, amused. "If they are serial killers or whatnot, what makes you so sure you aren't one?"

"Because I'm obviously not one!" The recreation worker began thrashing about. "Just let me kill them! I'm gonna die with them anyways! What's your use in these bastards anyways?!"

The bear rolled his eyes. "Because I want a killing game? I'm sorry if I didn't specify how many you can kill, but like… Girl, you're fucking crazy. You really went insane with your want to kill… uh, the serial killers or whatnot."

Kiyoko continued to thrash around. "Just let me kill them! I need to kill them!"

"Anyways!" Monokuma's attention went straight back to the group. "I'm not too mean though. You guys deserve a bit of fun too!"

Keishi worriedly cupped his hands together. "What does that mean?"

"Fun! F-U-N… Fun!" Monokuma clapped his hands together. He jumped down from his pedestal, having spun around in a circle. "Since you guys were able to figure out who the killer is, you get to choose how you want to execute her!"

"Wait, what?"

"But first off- fucking vote! I need you all to vote so we can get this started!"

"Um… what?"

"VOTE!"

Everyone was dumbfounded as they were shooed back to their seats. Slowly, and obviously hesitantly, the votes had been made.

* * *

 **VOTING TIME**

 **CHOOSE THE BLACKENED OF THIS CASE!**

Akio 'Blaise' Fukui

Yume Hamasaki

Hitomu Mizushima

Ayako Aoki

Blanchard/Viorel Decebel

Tomoyo Ikeda

Watari Irino

Masako Shinohara

Shinjimae 'Shinji' Akahoshi

-Wakana Takane-

Kyatchi Sesshoku

 **Kiyoko Yamagiri**

Keishi Kari

Misaki Ueda

* * *

Monokuma laughed as everyone looked up to him. "Don't worry! Even if you all look confused, Mr. Monokuma here will be nice enough to tell you all what the fuck happened… and then we can start this whole despair-inducing shit!"

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Kiyoko Yamagiri:** 12 Votes

 **Didn't Vote:** 1

 **Answer:** Kiyoko Yamagiri

 **RIGHT!**

* * *

"And would you look at that!" The overseer clapped loudly inside of the room. He completely ignored the smell of sweet, sweet alcohol in the air. "You guys are right! The killer is Kiyoko Yamagiri, not her stupid little twats who listened to every word she said!"

Akio stared blankly at the computer screen, watching the confetti fall from the gambling-like slot machine. It should've been something that he'd call disgusting, completely out of taste-

-but it wasn't.

Instead, he felt complete and utter joy. He was victorious. He had avenged Wakana.

"So it was true…" Tomoyo's head hung low. She was completely silent now, eyes downcast. She refused to meet anyone's gaze.

Akio grabbed at his heart. He closed his eyes.

 _I'm not feeling guilty at all._

 _A friend of mine died… Wakana died, and I caught the person who did. The fucking asshole who thought such stupid bull-!_

Akio quickly opened his eyes, now looking at Monokuma. "Did we have to vote though? It's already obvious beforehand that she was the killer."

Monokuma nodded. "Of course it is! It's proper etiquette to follow the rules!"

"B-but still…" Shinjimae was teary-eyed. "A-are you r-really g-going to execute… K-Kiyoko…?"

"I'm rather intrigued on this 'fun' part," Watari said, completely ignoring Shinjimae. The detective smugly grinned at Monokuma. "You want us to choose how she dies?"

"Why're you so calm about this?" Viorel asked, disgusted as he eyed the detective. "Do you want to choose how she dies?"

Blanchard forcibly switched the eyepatch. "If anything, her death should be… relaxing. Peaceful and without pain."

Akio couldn't help but disagree.

"Not like I'm gonna be that nice." Monokuma rolled his eyes. "Idiots! You just have to choose between a few colors!"

Masako held her hands together. She darted her eyes up at Kiyoko and down to Monokuma, back and forth. "That's…"

"That's stupid," Yume murmured.

Hitomu bit into his lips, but forced himself to move. "You're… going to explain this to us, right?"

The bear nodded excitedly. "Of course! Do you want the long explanation of how Kiyoko came to this, or the short one?"

The cat keeper stalled for a moment. He quickly shook his head and smile awkwardly. "Just explain everything."

"Alright! Then let's get this storytelling started!"

* * *

 **MONOKUMA'S ONE-TIME CLOSING ARGUMENT**

 **Monokuma:** Here's what happened, bitches!

Once upon a time- ah fuck it, let's just get on with this!

Well, after I gave you all the motive everyone began freaking out. The fucking idiots you are, you all decided to try reuniting as one, though smartypants Keishi, Masako, and Watari weren't. You guys' little unity was ruined instantly when Watari came in and denounced Akio as a murderer! That led to you guys dropping that stupid hope shit, and it led to y'all suspecting each other.

Kiyoko- oh shit, I mean, the murderer had thought that not only was Akio a murderer, but that everyone else was. Were they thinking of this out of spite? Out of fear? Well, it doesn't matter! … Maybe they did, and that's why they conversed with our victim…

Anyways! The murderer decided that in order to protect their family, or, to be honest- their want to kill everyone led them to planning this murder. Their first thought went like this- "Hey! People believe that Aki's a killer and shit, so why not use this to your advantage?" However, who would be a perfect victim? How will this lead to the framing of Akio? Well, the answer was right in front of them…

You see, the killer wanted to gain allies. Decebel and Ayako were their allies. Reasons? Decebel will do anything requested of them. Ayako, on the other hand… She was scared, and she was most likely threatened to help the murderer. Wanting to guarantee that she herself wouldn't be killed, she decided to listen to the murderer and help out in any way possible… That is, well, to hear from Misaki about Wakana!

Ayako had heard about Wakana's plan to meet Akio. This was perfect! This led to Ayako telling the murderer of this, and the murderer, along with her and Decebel, began their plan.

Before setting up this whole shit though, the killer and Wakana had been talking inside of the chatroom. Maybe the killer was genuine, maybe they weren't… Who knows? The killer was warning Wakana about Akio, and this led to Wakana arguing with them. It ended up going horribly though, so that might've been good for the killer's own self-conscious.

Welp! Anyways, the plan had been initiated. After hearing from Ayako, the killer told them of this plan. The tools were prepared- the duct tape, the weapon of choice, etc. Ayako went inside of the ventilation to place in a space heater, an attempt to cause carbon monoxide poisoning. Decebel had helped opened the vent, and the temperature had been raised to lower Akio and Wakana's suspicion.

This plan went perfectly. Akio and Wakana hadn't a clue of what was coming. Decebel as a butler having cleaned outside worked perfectly in their favor, and the leads to Ayako being a killer would leave the killer to run away, free of charge… Well, the plan did work, however the killer had another plan… which I'll talk about afterwards.

After Decebel had made sure that Akio and Wakana had blacked out, the killer instantly went in to do their job. Having gotten a knife from the kitchen and prepared duct tape, the killer instantly taped Wakana's mouth and used their clothes as a rope, choking her to death. Wakana most likely woken up by this shit, and she most likely tried to call for help… Oh, the despair! How beautiful- oh, right.

Ahem! After Wakana had died and the killer put back their clothing, they ripped the duct tape off. They then used the knife to cut Wakana's limbs apart, then stabbing a flower into her chest. There was no pain done as Wakana's a corpse now, but it was merely done as a sign of disgust for her and to frame Akio further as a murderer.

… Alright, so that had been done, but what the killer stole from the kitchen was not just the kitchen. You see, the killer didn't tell anyone this, not even their own accomplices… The killer had been planning to kill everyone from the start! They had put alcohol inside of a Mason jar and brought a lighter to burn down the place! How scandalous! Good thing I put an end to it, eh?

Well, anyways… BAM!

I got it- the murderer is Kiyoko Yamagiri, the Ultimate Recreation Worker!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Monokuma grinned happily, meekly scratching at the back of his head. "Ehehehe, I really should be a detective. This is fun to do."

"Did they have to know that?" Kiyoko asked, retorting. "They don't deserve the luxury of knowing shit!"

"T-this…" Shinjimae gulped. "T-this seriously d-doesn't m-make sense."

"Nothing makes sense." Misaki's hands were in her pockets. "Nothing…"

"Anyways, enough about that!" The overseer clapped his hands together. "So, here are the colors to choose from- red, white, or blue?"

Masako jumped. "W-wait! We're choosing already?!"

"Do these colors symbolize anything?" Watari asked, grinning at the bear. "Anything in particular?"

"Hm? Not really."

Hitomu shook his head, eyes coloring in sympathy for the recreation worker. "I don't want to choose…"

"Do we need to take a vote again?" Monokuma watched the group who were silent. A sigh escaped his mouth. "Alright, fine. Guys, place your votes!"

The screen suddenly brightened. There was another voting ballot to be seen, glowing in shiny gold.

"Remember, you have to vote or else you'll join Kiyoko in fucking Hell!"

That seemed to convince everyone. They slowly began to observe the screen.

Akio frowned. It was there. The choices were right there, even bolded in the colors- red, white, and blue.

 _What to choose…_ He wondered, tapping on his chin. _Which one should I choose…_

* * *

 **VOTING TIME**

 **PICK YOUR BLACKENED'S FATE!**

 **Red**

White

Blue

* * *

"Nice!" He could hear the bear saying. "Everyone already voted! This is awesome!"

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Red -** 5 Votes

 **White -** 4 Votes

 **Blue -** 3 Votes

 **RED IS THE WINNER!**

* * *

"Ah, I see, I see… So red's the winner…" Monokuma seemed intrigued, nodding without fail. "Well, your first instinct is to go for red, or so I've been told!"

Watari eyed the screen with interest, then looking back to the bear. "Does it really matter which color we vote for though? Doesn't it take time to prepare an execution, hm?"

The bear snickered, looking over to Watari. "When it comes to shit like executions, I'm more than willing to be in debt!"

"I'm strangely not surprised," Yume said, seemingly annoyed.

"This is so cruel…" Masako murmured to herself, on the verge of tears. "P-poor Kiyoko…"

"Hmph, showing me your pity is stupid." Kiyoko glared at the woman. "If you want to apologize, then why don't you die instead?"

The survivalist instantly cowered. "Eek!"

"Don't say that!" Hitomu's tone was drastically different from usual- aggressive and desperate. "Monokuma, can't there be anything done to prevent this?"

Monokuma didn't answer, only amused.

"May I suggest something?"

Viorel gasped. "Blanchard, you ass, don't-"

"What if I were to be executed instead?" He asked, attention completely focused on the overseer. "I had participated in this murder, so is it fair if I ask myself to be in her place instead?"

The bear smirked. "Like I'd be that nice, Blanchie."

"I believe that-"

The eyepatch was switched. Viorel looked completely agitated by this, but said nothing. He merely scoffed and averted his gaze.

"Hmph." The woman then turned to Akio. "Well, are you happy? Are you happy now?"

Akio rolled his eyes, looking up at the woman. His lips curved into an involuntarily smile. "I have nothing else to say to you."

"Jesus Christ, your personality went 180 there." Kyatchi couldn't help but comment, a wry, albeit forced, smirk.

Tomoyo was still silent, arms folded and gaze meeting nothing but the ground's.

"Welp, if that's all there is to be said, let's begin!"

Everyone's eyes widened.

Monokuma jumped back to the top of the pedestal. A sudden javel was on his hands.

"Let's begin this despair-inducing execution! Ground-breaking, I tell you!"

The arms carrying Kiyoko began to move. She was suddenly lifted high into the air, far up to where the ceiling was.

The ceiling opened, and suddenly Kiyoko was thrown up.

"The red room, where all the blood-curling shit is- LET'S DO THIS!"

* * *

 **GAME OVER**

 **Kiyoko Yamagiri has been found guilty.**

* * *

 **EXECUTION START!**

 **Red Room - Fun Activity**

* * *

Kiyoko found herself inside of a red room.

A red, very dark red, bloody room. There was nothing off about the room other than its dark color. It was unfitting for a casual, comfortable room. If anything, the room seemed to have been in crimson blood.

It looked like it, but hopefully that wasn't the case. She hoped it wasn't the case.

She looked around the room for a moment. It was completely empty.

 _What is going on?_

A sudden tune was heard. A playful, childlike tune on the flute.

Kiyoko blinked.

A sudden mess of items were in the middle of the room.

Baseballs. Basketballs. Canoes. Fishing poles.

Everything that Kiyoko recognized that she had used in her work as a recreation worker. The same, exact tools.

 _Why are my stuff here?_

Kiyoko quickly stood up.

The room suddenly blacked out.

It flickered.

Suddenly, surrounding the women, were children.

"Kiyoko…"

Her eyes widened. Black figures were holding hands, having entrapped Kiyoko in her closed space. She was near the mess of items, eyeing the silhouettes of children. Her eyes were diluted in fear.

"What are we going to do today, Kiyoko?"

Kiyoko was in utter shock. She didn't know what to say.

Her hands reached the mess, but she suddenly found herself yelping.

Her eyes looked back. The mess had instead turned into weapons, her fingers having been cut through a butcher knife. Knives, chainsaws, and guns were to be seen in the mess.

"Let's play, Kiyoko. Let's play."

Laughter echoed throughout the room.

Without even realizing it, the kids were holding weapons in hands. Kiyoko's eyes widened. She immediately reached for a weapon in the cluttered mess-

-but nothing was there.

"Kiyoko, let's play!"

"Yeah, we want to play some more games with you! You always know how to make us entertained!"

Kiyoko stood up, unable to do anything. The kids were continuing to laugh, all sorts of weaponry in hand. Knives, chainsaws, everything were to be seen.

She was helpless. She was unable to do anything as the kids jumped at her body, beginning to claw at her.

Knives sliced through her body. Cuts and slashes.

Gunshots were heard. Screams were heard.

The sound of guts being smashed in echoed throughout the room.

Blood splattered from place to place. Her clothes were completely soaked.

The kids continued to laugh.

They were dancing happily around the dead body, throwing their weapons down on the corpse.

"Should we play surgeon next?"

"Ooh, let's do that!"

The kids happily jumped around.

A scoopula was brought close to the corpse.

"Let's check if there's any infections in your eye!"

"Yeah! This is so much fun!"

"Thanks for playing with us, Kiyoko!"

It was a fun, fun activity.

A fun activity of death.

* * *

Everyone was in shock, unable to hear anything but the children's laughter. The room was completely surrounded by recordings of the execution- on the computer screens, on the ceiling, all over the room.

It was impossible to look away.

"Well, how interesting- ooh! There it is- her eyes were gouged out." Monokuma smiled, watching the screen from his seat. He even had the luxury to throw a grape in his mouth, nibbling on it.

Misaki was stunned. She couldn't move from her position. Even as a surgeon she couldn't help but feel sick, her cheeks flushed of its healthy color.

"Oh my god… M-make it stop…" Shinjimae was crying, having been shrieking for the past couple of minutes. He was now tucked away, head inside of Saki's fur.

"Guess that's settled." Monokuma cleared his throat. He pressed a silver-colored button, the recordings now having disappeared. He looked over to the Ultimates. "So, how was it?"

"Brutal," was all Yume said, indifferent in her tone.

Kyatchi threw his head back, laughing.

Ayako was completely shocked. Her mouth hung agape as she turned to the juggler, snot and tears falling from her face. "W-why're you laughing?!"

"Oh!" Monokuma smiled. "You liked it, Kya?"

Kyatchi shook his head, wiping a tear. "No, I just find it hilarious how over the top it was. It caught me off guard there. Is this some circus performance or something?"

"Just shut it, Kyatchi!" Ayako cried, teary. "It's not something to laugh at!"

The juggler sighed. "I'm not laughing at Kiyoko dying, but at how stupid this whole charade is. It's amazing that Monokuma would be so over the top about that. It's just stupid."

"Hmph, well, that isn't very nice." The bear crossed his arms. He glared at Kyatchi before then smiling, looking to the others. "So, what would you rate that execution? Geez, I wished you guys would've seen the white and blue executions for her, but whatever. This execution was fine."

"Be quiet, please." Keishi's entire face was pale. "This is… frightening…"

"Having a panic attack or some shit?" Monokuma groaned. "Whatever. Guess I don't need your opinions. You guys were the ones who chose this execution, not me."

"W-wait." Masako's voice was breathless. "W-what would've h-happened if w-we were wrong with the vote?"

Watari smiled, quickly interjecting into the conversation. "We'd all be executed just like how Kiyoko was."

"Damn… That's scary." Akio was shocked. Honestly though, he should've expected it. He recalled back to Kiyoko's bloodied corpse, then shuddering. To think about him and the others going through the same thing was horrifying. Chills were instantly sent down through his spine.

Still, no matter how horrifying that was, Akio couldn't help but inwardly smile at this little victory of his.

 _Well, good thing we survived this whole shit… At least Wakana had been avenged._

A yawn. "Well, shitheads, I wasted my whole bedtime for this." Monokuma waved to the group. "I'm gonna go now. Don't worry. You guys will instantly go back to the school in a few minutes. Just wait for the system to boot up."

Hitomu's eyes widened. "Wait a second-"

Monokuma was gone. He had disappeared from the scene.

Everyone was silent in their demise.

Akio, in the meantime, tasted sweet revenge in his mouth.

* * *

... And here is the end of this chapter! The aftermath will come out soon (hopefully), and with the end of this case means that I can finally shift back the focus to Disparity's case! Haha, well, the chapter here wasn't more of a mystery, but more of 'wtf' thing instead.

Anyways, school's coming slowly into existence, and I might update these chapters and Disparity's slower than usual... But fear not! I have the motivation to continue these two stories and to complete them! I do not want to disappoint you guys after all. Anyways, till next time~


	11. Chapter 1 - Part 2, Part D

... And here I am, at this chapter's aftermath! I'll keep what I say short since this chapter itself is short, so here you go.

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Hopefully I will~"

 **liammarklh88:** "Hopefully, more spotlight will be given to the other characters in future chapters. Glad you liked it overall and hopefully the next cases down the road will be better."

 **Meta King:** "Haha, nice theory. Let us see if you're right~"

 **ToonGuy:** "Nice thoughts~ I always enjoy seeing your reviews. Glad you liked the trial overall, and yes Akio's behavior will have to bite him sooner or later... maybe, maybe not."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Haha, that's a huge compliment right there! I think anything that references Req is like a huge compliment~"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Oh my gosh, why another long review? I'm trying to keep my replies short XD Yes, I agree with all your points there. Hopefully I am able to do better in the upcoming trials on this story. Hopefully I can develop the characters well to your liking, and yes keep speculating~"

 **PainX65:** "KATSURA, IS THAT YOU?! O-oh... *blushes*"

* * *

Interpretations only came into existence merely because of a thing called the mind.

The human mind is capable of many things. The brain allows us to speak, allows us to see and smell, etc. It is the mind which allows us to be who we are today, and it is the one which allows us to be different from each other.

Interpretations came into being because of humanity. It is because of the human mind that interpretations were a thing.

Watari knew that. He knew that because of the many different expressions people had towards every single concept said in this room. He knew that because of the discomfort everyone had on their faces.

Who was right? Who was in the wrong?

No one knew and can only come up with their own meaning.

"This isn't right."

The detective looked over to the side. There, he found Tomoyo, the screenwriter having shaken her head. She had her arms folded as she was staring down Akio, the actor having just laughed at Kiyoko's death so brazenly and disgustingly.

Watari closed his eyes.

 _This is why I called you out for being a murderer. Even if this tidbit of information Monokuma gave me isn't true, seeing you in your true colors just revealed this._

"Why would you laugh at her death? This isn't right, and you know that!" Tomoyo's face was red with anger. She was trying her best to stand up to the man. "It's not moral to laugh at someone's death, Blaise."

Akio rolled his eyes. Watari could tell that the man was insane. "She's the one who killed Wakana! Did she do anything to deserve death?"

Tomoyo shuddered at his words. The man was towering over her. She held her breath, then continuing. "This situation isn't normal. This is a killing game where Monokuma forces you to kill. In any normal circumstance Kiyoko never would've thought this way."

"How are you so sure about that?" The actor scoffed, nose wrinkled in disgust. "You never even knew her for that long."

"Why does that matter?" Tomoyo tightened her grip around her arms. "Everyone is capable of killing. It's just that these circumstances caused Kiyoko to kill… It's not like she's the only one capable of murder."

"The fact is that she still killed Wakana." The actor gritted his teeth. "Don't give me that."

Tomoyo scoffed. She glared at the man.

Kyatchi grinned snidely at the actor. "I mean, I'm more than happy to die. You'd be able to kill me much more easily than Wakana, y'know?"

"K-Kyatchi!" Ayako pouted, tears in her eyes. "D-don't say things like that…"

"Just let him speak," Viorel said, scoffing. "It's not like he has the guts to do shit like that-"

Blanchard immediately switched over. "Viorel, quiet. And it's shoot. Do not cuss in front of our masters."

"Oh shut it!"

 _Those two seem the same despite what happened to them._

Watari smirked inwardly at the butler, seeing him and Viorel arguing. His eyes then glanced back to Tomoyo and Akio, watching the duo who were obviously hostile with one another. He took the time to carefully observe their movements, the detective resting himself against the wall.

Tomoyo was staring at the brunette with fierce green eyes. Her lips were pursed in a frustrated, worried fashion, nose pointed at the actor. Her arms were folded, legs spaced evenly from each other. She was definitely trying to stand up to the man, looking down upon him.

Akio was obviously hostile. The brunette's eyes were fierce as well, though mainly they were shining in that of disgust and anger. His movements were boisterous, obnoxious. It was obvious that the man did not want Tomoyo to stand up to him.

Watari let out a sigh, tapping his fingers.

 _I guess I should turn the tide against me to make things run smoothly._

"Ahem!" The detective clapped his hands together. He couldn't help but snicker as everyone turned towards him, expressions mixed in fear, anger, worry, etc. It was obvious they didn't want to talk to him. "Can't we all play along? Didn't you guys want to fight for unity? What happened to that?"

"Shut up." Akio crossed his arms, glaring at the shorter man. "Everything's your fault."

"My fault?" The detective snorted. "You're so silly, Aki. Is it really my fault for Wakana dying?"

"Of course it is!" The actor took a step forward, almost ready to grab at the detective's throat. "You were the one who spouted that bullshit about me being a killer in the first place! That fucking led to Kiyoko believing in that bull!"

Watari frowned.

 _He does have a point. Oh well, no use trying to deny it._

"Even if that's the case, there's also to note of the motive Monokuma gave us beforehand. If Kiyoko wasn't the one to kill, then it might've been someone else… Maybe Wakana, if by any chance?"

Akio's eyes widened. "Of course not! That's impossible."

"Are you in such denial over Wakana…?" Tomoyo was saddened, face hanging low. "Don't you understand? Anyone could kill."

Watari sighed. He supposed he truly had no say in the argument at all.

"But who would kill Wakana?" The actor was livid. "That's sick! Wakana literally did nothing wrong!"

"Reality is just like that." Tomoyo pursed her lips. "You think that reality's fair to us? We're in a killing game for Christ's sake."

"C-can someone stop them…?" Masako asked, fearful as her eyes darted back and forth. "P-please don't fight…"

"Please, you two need to stop fighting." Hitomu tried to call out to the duo, but they weren't listening. They were only glaring at one another. "Tomoyo, Blaise!"

"Nothing's working." Yume frowned. "Should we just leave them?"

"I don't think we can." Keishi's eyes were downcast. "The exit isn't anywhere in the vicinity."

Shinjimae was hugging tightly onto Saki. "Oh, p-please hurry up w-with the exit, Monokuma…"

"I can't believe you're like this!" Tomoyo was frustrated, hands clenched into fists. Her eyes were watery. "Why are you like this? Isn't it obvious that Kiyoko wouldn't have done such a thing in normal circumstances?"

Akio rolled his eyes, a snort escaping his lips. "That's stupid. Kiyoko's already shown to us how much of a fucking idiot she is. She'd kill over anything."

Misaki's eyes widened at this. "Blaise, you're going too far!"

"What?" Tomoyo was trembling. "A-are you serious?"

"Of course I am!" The actor laughed. "She's an idiot! She deserves her fucking execution-"

It echoed throughout the entire room.

A loud, sudden slap.

"T-Tomoyo!"

Akio's cheek was red. Tomoyo's hand was red as well.

The poor screenwriter's face was riddled in anger, the actor on the other end expressing shock. The duo were caught in a crossfire, and everyone didn't know what to do.

"How could you say something like that?" Tomoyo began, her voice shaky. She couldn't register the fact that Masako and Misaki ran over to her side. "Every life is precious, don't you know that?"

Akio couldn't help but bite into his lips, a pained expression crossing his face. "Tomoyo…"

 _He really messed up._ Watari sighed, then clearing his throat. "Aw, are you two fighting already? Can't you just kiss and make up?"

The screenwriter frowned. "Watari… Please, not right now."

Watari snickered, amused as he eyed the dejection in Tomoyo's eyes. "Why? Can't we all just get along? I know reality is cruel and we're not as friendly as some of us would like, but to fight right now is quite petty, don't you think?"

Hitomu raised a brow. "What does that mean?"

"Well, obviously, because we're in this room?" Watari threw his hands out. "We're in the place where we subject people to execution, right? This place is filled to the brim with memories of death."

Yume squinted. "How… dramatic."

The detective chuckled. As dramatic and exaggerated as it sounded, it was his way of shifting the atmosphere. "Come on, my dear Ultimates- is it really the time to fight? Remember, Aki, Moe, you two are fighting right in the middle of the crowd here."

Silence.

That seemed to stop the duo, both of them having turned away from one another.

… _Just as I predicted._ Watari smirked, clapping his hands. "Now that wasn't so hard, right?"

"I'm just glad they stopped arguing," Misaki sighed, shaking her head. "Sheesh… This isn't good for anyone's health. Hey, does anyone need a DNA test?"

Shinjimae frowned. "Uh… No thanks."

Hitomu smiled over to Watari's way. With cats on his arms, he headed over to the detective and leaned to the wall. "Thank you for stopping those two."

The detective smirked. "Why are you thanking someone like me? I only did that for my own benefit, not for anyone else's."

"Understandable." The cat keeper chuckled. "Thank you nonetheless."

… _He's too nice for his own good._

Watari sighed, wiping the dust off from his clothes. It was now dead silent. The silence looming around the room was killing him. It was suffocating, to say the least.

A sudden static noise was heard throughout the room.

"Ow…" Masako moaned. "My ears…"

"Ugh!" Ayako stomped her feet on the ground, pouting. "Stop this! It hurts!"

Surprisingly, it did and was, however, replaced by Monokuma's voice.

"Alrighty, I got the shit all ready to go! You guys want your well-deserved sleep, right?!"

Everyone was silent. They did not know how to respond to that question at all.

"I guess that's a big fat yes then! Alright, hold onto something or shit because you're going back to reality!"

"What?" Blanchard frowned. "What does that mean-"

The butler was unable to finish his sentence, the room starting to shake.

A second later, the room collapsed.

Everyone was screaming. The room was falling, and the Ultimates were falling as well.

Watari looked down, eyes slightly widening as he noticed the room changing back into its original state.

The room had changed in an instant, and the detective was unable to question it as he fell right to the ground, landing on his back.

"Ow…"

"Monokuma, you ass…"

Watari rubbed his bosom, hearing the others groaning around him.

"The room changed so quickly… It's like nothing happened…"

Watari had to agree with that statement. He brought himself to his feet, eyes darting back and forth around the room. Yes, everything looked the same as it was earlier- the same basketball hoops, the same empty court, the same everything.

Yes, everything looked the same as they had first saw it.

"How strange," the detective said, murmuring under his breath.

"I'm going to go."

Watari looked back. He saw Yume who was rubbing her eyes, dragging herself outside of the gymnasium.

Kyatchi stretched his arms out, having easily picked himself up from the ground. "That trial bored me to death. I'm gonna go."

Keishi averted his eyes. "Same…"

It didn't take long until he saw Kyatchi and Keishi taking their leave as well, everyone then then beginning to follow suit.

 _They are exhausted from the trial, so I suppose it makes sense._

The detective chuckled inwardly to himself.

He soon found himself alone.

Watari sighed, stretching his arms out. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around the room. Seeing nothing suspicious in sight, he made his own way out of the room.

He contemplated for a bit whether or not he should rest, but after a while he decided best that sleep was important. He was supposed to investigate inside of the library tomorrow as well, a few books having caught ahold of his interest.

The man frowned as he headed over to the dormitories, his mind rolling around Wakana and Kiyoko.

Wakana Takane, the Ultimate Florist.

Though Watari wasn't close to Wakana as Akio was to her, he knew that she seemed a bit too good for this world.

The innocent were usually the ones who suffer the most- and that statement always held true to him. Those who were killed were usually the ones who didn't deserve death, and the ones who were alive were those whom others can deem as very 'death worthy'.

Wakana was your everyday, average person. If it weren't for her title as an Ultimate, she'd be the sort of person people would easily pass by on the street. She was someone whom people see everyday- a friendly, sweet person who had interests a normal person would have.

Kiyoko Yamagiri, the Ultimate Recreation Worker.

She was someone who was close to Tomoyo, and she was someone whom Watari seemed to have heard of fairly well.

She was loved by people and although blunt, was very protective of those she loved. She was a person whom people can look up to. Someone to be admired.

She was a person everyone could admire. A hardworking and straightforward individual that even Watari found himself attracted to.

Or, someone he used to admire.

Watari frowned. He stopped right in front of his dorm room, the door right in front of his face.

His stomach churned. He felt his grip on the door handle tightening.

A moment passed before he let out a sigh.

 _There is no use thinking about this now._

Watari inwardly slapped himself on the wrist, turning the handle and opening the door. He quickly headed inside. The door was shut behind him.

The dark blue walls were the first thing that welcomed him. The light hanging from above brightly colored the room, especially his white blankets and blue pillows. Though the light was blinding, Watari adjusted to it fairly easily. He headed over to the mattress and sat down comfortably.

Watari glanced over to his desk, noticing the clutter of notes and papers on top. He could see that his pen was still open, the cap to the side.

 _It most likely dried out, huh._

Watari grabbed ahold of his MonoPad, then moving it at the top of the mess. He then headed over to the closet to loosen himself up, taking out a few layers of clothing. Feeling much more relaxed, the man headed over to the restroom.

The sink was turned on, and the man washed his face. His hand moved over to the toothbrush and toothpaste.

Having cleaned himself up, the man headed straight back to the bed, rolling down and wrapping the blankets around him. The lights were turned off.

The detective stared at nothing but darkness, his mind tugging at him in the process.

 _There is no doubt that everyone will be much more hostile towards one another. Decebel and Ayako are most likely going to be shunned, nonetheless Tomoyo and Akio's relationship now down the drain._

 _Hitomu will definitely try to unite everyone together nonetheless. I'm not sure how well he'll actually fare with doing such a thing- the mindsets of the others are quite unstable right now. I might have to check on them myself._

… _I can expect Monokuma to message me tomorrow. I'll plan what to do from there. For now, settling on finding information from what the library has given me will do._

With those thoughts in mind, Watari eased himself. It was later that he found himself falling down into sleep.

* * *

... And that's it! I know this chapter was short, but fear not! Hopefully you, er, liked Watari's perspective on this. I'll try to provide you all a lot of content in the later chapters. Anyways, I'm out! I don't want to make a chapter lengthy from my rambling XD


	12. Chapter 2 - Part 1, Part A

Hello and welcome to Chapter 2 of this story! I hope you all didn't wait too long, hopefully… Anyways, well, it's here now, so hopefully you'll enjoy this chapter!

 **ToonGuy:** "Hehe, glad you liked it~ Yes, very interesting, love your thoughts on that. Changing POVs are interesting to me~ Yes, Akio, be hated. Oh gosh, well~ Haha. Of course, of course~ Yes."

 **liammarklh88:** "At least someone here likes Watari XD Everyone should calm the fuck down and drink some good ol Tylenol, lol. Kyatchi is my boy, yo."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "And somehow your review was still long, ahaha. Glad you enjoyed Watari's perspective~ No, it was the highlight of every chapter, haha. I'm glad I did Tomoyo justice, or at least so far~ What a messed up person. Dangerous, definitely, but I doubt Monokuma cares… Maybe. Haha, glad you learned a lot from that short chapter."

 **Meta King:** "Haha, let's see~ Yes, glad you enjoyed that. Ooh, you like that, me too. Well, isn't that a sad ending XD"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Glad you enjoyed it~ And thanks!"

* * *

A strange experience. Yes, it was quite the strange experience.

"You know what I think is stupid?"

That familiar voice was calling out to him. It didn't question him specifically though, for the voice answered it immediately afterwards.

"Humans are fucking stupid. They are selfish critters who don't even fucking understand they're selfish."

That voice transformed into a thing- a bear. Monokuma has came into being, and he was pacing back and forth within the white space.

"You know that term altruism? The term where things are done out of this thing called selflessness?"

Monokuma suddenly stopped. A frown was apparent on his face.

"That thing is nothing more than bull. No matter what you're doing, you're doing it to make yourself feel good. You're just doing everything for others to be happy that you've done something."

Monokuma grinned. A sudden pointer appeared on his hands, and he pointed it up. Up into nowhere but the lonely white air.

"Let's rebel! Let's fight then! Let's fight for what's right-

-that humans are selfish little critters!"

Does it even matter? Does it matter if humans are selfish or not?

Only Monokuma cared. No one else did.

—

"Wake up bastards! It's time to wake up and be productive! Don't stick around in your bed all day! Go do shit!"

That abrupt announcement had woken up the poor soul of the Ultimate, eyes batting open and body springing up. Monokuma's voice seemed to be the destroyer of all peace and quiet- that was a statement that can definitely be classified as fact.

It was another day. It seemed to be another day.

Time is always defined differently throughout the world.

It was like the differing time zones in the Samoa and Apia islands. In the American Samoa Islands, the date stayed consistently the same as most other countries around the world. In Samoa islands, the Apia Standard Time was a day ahead. These islands which are close to one another are close in proximity, yet their own thought of time weren't.

It was comparable to what was considered 'today' now. Was today a day that everyone else considered is their 'day', or was it a day ahead? Maybe people thought that this day was only mere hours ahead of what had happened, or maybe the day had just passed.

Nobody knew, and so they had to take Monokuma's word for it.

 _Well, that doesn't mean I won't listen to everything he says._

Watari smirked as he stretched his arms out, letting out a small yawn in the process. His eyes instantly looked over to the MonoPad. Easily jumping off from his mattress, he walked over on his own two feet to the device. Grabbing ahold of it with ease, he turned it on.

The screen brightened within seconds, turning on. Soon, Watari reaches to the home screen, noticing a few notifications on the chatroom. Curious, the detective clicked onto them. There he was brought to his and Monokuma's chat log. Monokuma has messaged him, Watari eyeing the messages with keen interest.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Monokuma: Watari! (06:24 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Watari I wanna talk to you! (06:24 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Watari! (06:25 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Bah! You're probably asleep anyways so I'll just say what I want and leave. (06:30 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, you know how I told you before that I was gonna give you everything needed for the first trial and all? (06:31 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Well, I wanted to test out how reliable you really are this time. (06:32 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Like obviously there's gonna be another murder. (06:32 AM)**

 **Monokuma: You kids are fucking stupid, you catch my drift? Murder's fucking natural for you humans. (06:33 AM)**

 **Monokuma: So yeah! I'm not gonna help you out this time. (06:34 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I want to see your skills as a detective. You figured shit out in the first trial, but I know for sure you'll figure shit out next time. (06:34 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I just want to see what my little assistant can accomplish. That's all! I wanna see you actually try in the trial and befriend people! (06:35 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Like… (06:35 AM)**

 **Monokuma: The mastermind wants to see some participation here! (06:36 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, that's all I have to say. (06:36 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Just try your best. I'm not gonna help you this time so good luck, bastard! (06:36 AM)]**

Watari frowned. To think about what the bear said was quite baffling. Still, the sudden change of behavior in what the bear wanted was something to take note of.

The detective didn't take time to type into the message box, begging for more answers from the overseer.

 **[Watari: Can this imply that you want to confuse the mastermind? (07:04 AM)]**

It didn't take long before the bear responded, the bell ringing.

 **[Monokuma: Watari! You're alive! (07:04 AM)**

 **Monokuma: And yeah. It'll be fun to see the mastermind worry over whether or not you're actually a 'traitor'. (07:05 AM)]**

Watari pursed his lips, taking a moment to reflect back on the bear's words. It could imply that the overseer was working separately from the mastermind, or it merely implied that the mastermind had a kick for messing with traitors.

 _It's obvious that Monokuma doesn't fully trust me though._

Watari smirked to himself. He continued to tap away onto the screen.

 **[Watari: I see. The mastermind does know that I am an actual traitor, right? (07:06 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I don't think an answer's needed. You should know. (07:06 AM)**

 **Watari: That's implying that you're hiding things from me. (07:07 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I mean, that's a given. I'm not that stupid to believe that you're completely helping me. Same goes for you. (07:08 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, just play hooky with the others! I like seeing teenagers try to get along and fail anyways. (07:09 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Bye! (07:09 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari closed the MonoPad, thinking for a moment. What Monokuma was saying was suspicious and rendered doubt in his head, but the detective had to talk to him longer in order to get an idea of what was happening. Maybe Monokuma was lying to him throughout the entire time the bear's been texting him, or maybe he wasn't. A lie can be skewed as well as the truth.

The detective gently placed the MonoPad aside before standing up. He quickly headed over to the bathroom to clean himself up, then tossing on a pair of clothes which were- of course- alike to the one he wore before. Making sure he looked fine, eyeing his reflection, he walked back to his room and grabbed his MonoPad. He placed it securely into his pocket before taking a look around the room. There, his attention was focused on the messy desk.

His notes and pencils were still scattered across the table. He noticed a few wordings which caught his attention- that about the possible motives behind this killing game, that about this school's location, and especially that of what Monokuma had told him so far.

Akio Fukui was a murderer. There was a possibility that everyone else, including himself, were murderers as well.

Kiyoko had believed that as fact, and it led her to wanting to kill everyone. Even if she had excluded herself, she had desired the deaths of everyone else and believed her case was due justice.

It was such a shame. Kiyoko was someone that Watari admired, and to see her fall so quickly made him pity the poor woman. He shouldn't have respected her, yet she did. As someone whom he knew in the past, Kiyoko was someone that he had admired at a certain level.

A shame. It was truly a shame.

 _Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Watari turned over, hearing someone knocking on the door. A frown appeared on his face. He never expected someone to approach him.

 _Though I suppose it was a given considering what happened._

A sigh escaped his lips. He slowly walked over to the door, creaking it slightly open. He peeked an eye out before noticing a familiar face standing on middle ground with him, right at his eye level.

"What're you doing here?" The detective first asked, throwing an amused smile. He kept his hands firmly gripped around the door frame and handle. "Are you here to willingly throw your life my way?"

It was Tomoyo. The woman was eyeing the man doubtfully, her eyes darting back and forth. Her lips were slightly opened, and it was obvious that the woman was trying to choose her words carefully. A sigh escaped her breath as she looked straight at Watari's face. "Can I talk to you?"

The man snickered. "What do you want to talk about anyways?"

Tomoyo frowned. "It's about you. I want to know why you're working under Monokuma."

"Haven't you heard of the saying 'curiosity killed the cat'?" Watari observed the screenwriter slowly, eyeing her from top to bottom. He could tell that the woman was nervous. "You're just writing your own death, Moe."

"I know the risks," the woman said, downcast. "I just cannot believe that you'd join Monokuma so willingly."

"You don't know me that well, and I don't know you that well." The detective's tone was indifferent, expression unsteady. "How would you know that I'm the type of person who wouldn't join Monokuma so easily and willingly?"

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "The same can be said about the opposite. Throwing away people's lives is not right. I cannot believe you would affiliate yourself with someone like Monokuma."

"What?" Watari raised a brow, nose wrinkled. "That's what you believe, Moe. You're so naive."

Tomoyo was silent. She averted her gaze.

The detective grinned. Having silenced Tomoyo was quite easy of a job. He couldn't help but pity the poor woman. "Was that all you wanted to ask me, Moe? You're quite the sweet one, aren't you~"

The screenwriter shook her head. She took a step away from the man. "I'll ask you again later."

"Later?" Watari frowned. "The answer will be the same."

"I know that." The screenwriter held her breath. Her voice suddenly fell into a mumble, "Please join us for breakfast."

Watari's eyes widened. "Why?"

Tomoyo ignored the man's words, taking her leave quickly and without fail. She had left the detective to his lonesome.

Watari frowned, baffled by what had happened. He thought about Tomoyo and her words, the grip on the door instantly loosening. He couldn't care less that the door was slightly opened.

 _It's obvious that Tomoyo's shaken up about Kiyoko and Wakana's deaths. Her fight with Akio didn't help either…_

 _She's trying to talk to me because she wants answers. That's obvious._

Watari suddenly found himself eying the MonoPad in his pocket. A silent look of uneasiness escaped his expression.

… _If she is the mastermind, I'll have to watch her carefully. That's 'if' she's the mastermind though._

Watari sighed. He grabbed ahold of the handle and held the door completely opened. He stepped outside to close it. Eyes looking around the dormitories, he figured that everyone must've left already. It was dead silent inside of the hallways, and his gut told him that everyone had already left their rooms.

Tomoyo's words ringing inside of his head, he figured he should take a look inside of the cafeteria. Watari silently headed over towards the cafeteria, focus turned to Hitomu who was outside of the door.

"Watari! Good morning." Hitomu smiled happily as usual, Kazue and Reiji running around the man's feet. The cat keeper quickly stepped towards the door and opened it. "Please come inside. Blanchard and Viorel have set up the table already."

Watari looked at the man for a moment, then tossing him a small smirk. "Why, a good morning to you too, Hitomu. Have you already forgotten my role in this game?"

"Ah, that." The cat keeper meekly chuckled. "I believe you have good intentions for becoming a traitor. It's rude to leave somebody starving, even if it was their own arch nemesis… Or so, that is what I believe in."

The detective shrugged. "You're Jesus, I assume. A forgiver of all, even those who sin."

"I wouldn't call it that," Hitomu replied, amused. "Everyone deserves a second chance. That's all I can say."

"Truly a guardian angel." Watari mused. "Well, that's fine. Believe what you want to believe in. I can't change the morality of someone so easily."

The cat keeper nodded, keeping the door opened. Watari headed inside with ease, the sudden smell of food roaming into his nostrils. Unconsciously did it make his stomach growl. The smell of waffles, pancakes, soup, and omelette was quite the delight. It smelled marvelous.

"W-Watari!"

The detective looked back, noticing the group of Ultimates on the table. Like he had expected, the group were shocked at his arrival. They were shocked, baffled, mad- a whole mixture of emotions were sitting right at the table.

"Why're you here?" Akio snarled, glaring at the man. "You're not welcomed here."

Watari snickered. "Considering Hitomu opened the door for me, I could say with ease that I am very much welcomed here."

"Watari…" Shinjimae was worried, fingers fiddling with one another. He couldn't even bother to pet Saki who was comfortably sitting down on the floor.

"Aren't you working under Monokuma though?" Kyatchi asked, holding his breath. "Do you really want to align yourself with us losers?"

The detective smirked. His attention was turned to Ayako and Decebel. "Yes, and you want to align yourselves with our killers here. That makes sense, dearies."

Ayako instantly threw a glare at the man. "That's rude!"

"I'm merely stating facts." Watari sighed, eyeing the lolita fashion model. "It's surprising that you are all willingly allowing Ayako, Viorel, and Blanchard into this room, but not me. What differentiates me from them, might I ask?"

"L-let's not fight, please." Masako eyed the group, then eyeing Watari. Her entire face was pale. "I-I just want us to eat, i-if that's fine with everyone."

"Fighting over this is so petty," Kyatchi murmured underneath his breath. His focus turned to the Ultimate Butler, the man mopping the floor in the corner. "You're not a slave, are you?"

Blanchard turned to eye the juggler. He shook his head. "I am but a mere butler, Master Kyatchi. Master Hitomu told me that I need to repent for what I have done."

"You sound indifferent," the juggler snorted, rolling his eyes. "Do you even care if you helped someone kill another?"

The butler was silent, continuing to mop the floor.

"I just want to eat," Keishi murmured under his breath. He glanced over to Hitomu who walked inside of the cafeteria, his usual smile on his face. "Hitomu, can we eat now?"

The cat keeper eyed Keishi before nodding. "Yes, of course! You do not need to wait for my approval. Eat to your fill."

An answer immediately having been given, everyone went to their food. Hitomu gestured Watari to sit. The detective decided to follow Hitomu, sitting down next to him. He then grabbed ahold of his food and began to eat.

 _I'm not surprised the food would taste good considering the Ultimate Butler was the one who helped cook these…_

Watari's thoughts slowly came to a halt. He glanced over to the group who were eating in silence. He could sense the tension overwhelming the atmosphere. It was truly a pitiful sight to see.

"So," the detective began, smirking mischievously at the group, "The unity between you Ultimates fell quicker than I had expected it to."

"That's your fault," Akio retorted, frowning. "We could've avoided all of this if it weren't for you."

"That's what you believe in, Aki." The detective then turned to the others. "If not, then I assume you all feel the same?"

Blanchard cleared his throat, a nod portrayed. "I feel it is the fault of us all equally, Master Watari."

"Pfft, kissass." Kyatchi snorted. "Doesn't everything point back to Monokuma anyways?"

"That's right!" Misaki puffed up her cheeks, irritation in her eyes. "We definitely need to tear his body apart and see if his heart is made out of hatred!"

Viorel took the time to murmur to himself, amused as he eyed Misaki. "Yeah, you're definitely a surgeon."

"So…" Yume eyed the group carefully. "Are you going to try stopping Monokuma this time or not?"

"S-stopping Monokuma…" Masako bit into her lips. "I-I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but that sounds… it sounds a bit impossible."

"Not realistic." The juggler sighed. "Can't you guys come up with something else?"

Keishi murmured underneath his breath, "Maybe if I wasn't here…"

"I-I hope we can get out of here," Shinjimae said to himself. He was ruffling Saki's fur worriedly.

Hitomu smiled, shaking his head. "As long as we think, then good will come our way."

Watari gulped down his glass of water, amused at what he was hearing. "A plan cannot work without cooperation and teamwork. It sounds impossible to even begin planning when you are all torn apart."

"You don't want to work with us though," Ayako moaned, annoyed.

"I doubt most are even willing to work with you or Decebal completely." The detective sighed. "It's easier to plan alone. You can all work individually and still achieve the same results. You'll just lack the companionship."

"He does bring up a point," Tomoyo said, eyeing the detective for a moment. "We could work incidentally, but achieve the same result that we all desired."

"You think?" Keishi looked unsure. "I don't… I don't think I'll be of any help."

"Don't think like that!" Misaki smiled. "Think positive."

Kyatchi was grossed out. "Ew."

Akio eyed the group silently, then shaking his head and turning to Watari. "If we were to plan alone though, there's a chance that someone would be plotting murder."

"I'm surprised you knew that, Aki." The detective chuckled. "I'm merely stating a suggestion though. Working together does not seem to fare well for you Ultimates, and working individually will be better, though of course with some risks taken. I do not care which side you choose to avoid and which you'll choose. Maybe even a third option will be in store."

"You're…" Shinjimae blinked. "Y-You're more nicer than I expected."

Watari frowned. It was merely because of what Monokuma told him. He honestly couldn't care less about the group's unity and whatnot. He mainly cared about what information he can get from others, and what he could do with them.

"I'm more surprised by the fact that you're all here." Watari smirked at the group. "I'm supposing Hitomu forced you all to stay here together for breakfast?"

"I was just hungry," Yume mumbled to herself.

Ayako pouted, puffing up her cheeks and nervously looking around. "I-I can't just stay in my room all day."

Akio glared at the lolita fashion model, and his eyes seemed to run to the butler's before he stopped himself. He noticed Tomoyo and cleared his throat, eyes turned to Hitomu. "What do you think we should do?"

Hitomu raised a brow. A hum escaped his lips as he crossed his arms. "Hm… Watari does have a point, though I do find it hard to believe that we're torn apart from each other so easily."

Keishi let out a small sigh. "I rather work alone."

The cat keeper's eyes widened. "And why is that, Keishi?"

The survivor held his breath. He seemed to pale for a moment, however his mouth opened. He slowly began to speak. "I just feel like it'll be better for you all to avoid me. I'm called the Ultimate Survivor for a reason."

"But…" Hitomu smiled awkwardly. "I do not see how a title can cause you to avoid us."

"Because he's the Ultimate Survivor." Watari looked at the cat keeper, eyes steady. "Bad luck shines down upon not him, but the people around him."

Hitomu paled, the realization having hit him. "Oh."

"Sorry," Keishi mumbled, averting his gaze. "I didn't mean to insult you…"

"No, it's fine." The cat keeper awkwardly chuckled. He looked over to the group. "Do you all prefer to work individually? We can report our findings later when we meet up at dinner."

"That's fine by me," Ayako answered. She was staring over to some of the Ultimates, annoyed. "I don't like it when people look at me."

"Anything works with us," Viorel answered, chewing on his piece of waffle.

Blanchard coughed. "Eat the food properly, Viorel."

"Oh, shush!"

Yume deadpanned. "I rather work alone. I'm not a fan of group work."

"I doubt anyone is," Kyatchi answered, smirking dryly. "Anything works for me, Hitomu."

Akio sighed. "I guess that's fine. I rather not work with some of the people here anyways."

Tomoyo frowned. She wanted to say something, but didn't. Instead she looked over to Hitomu and nodded her head in acknowledgment.

Hitomu noticed that the group of Ultimates seemed to agree with the idea, everyone nodding their heads and humming approval. He clapped his hands together with a comforting smile, his cats nuzzling against him in the meantime. "I guess we will work individually then."

"I-I'm fine with that," Masako answered, smiling politely. "I-I do not want to be stuck here."

Misaki chuckled. "And if that doesn't work, let's cut open Monokuma!"

"You are crazy," Akio mused, chuckling. "If only that could work though."

Shinjimae eyed the cat keeper curiously, eyes blinking. "W-we are to report our findings around dinner, r-right?"

"Mhm." Hitomu hummed. "Anything can prove worthwhile. Even if that specific piece of information does not seem important, please still report it to everyone else."

"Uhuh…"

"Sounds like a good idea," Akio said, smiling happily. "Let's do it."

And the plan has been set in place. Although Watari knew the percentage of success was at a bare minimum, he didn't speak much on it. Honestly, he rather see how things unfold.

 _It's not like I'm going to report everything I find to them anyways. They probably expect that I'd lie to them regardless of what I say._

Watari glanced down at his food. He bit into the last of his waffle, now taking a sip from his glass. Everyone else seemed to be finishing as well, conversations going to and fro in an awkward manner.

His eyes glanced over to Tomoyo. She was continuously looking at him, seconds passing by.

 _Hm… Observing me, I see._

Watari grinned to himself. He wouldn't have expected the screenwriter to be curious about him to this extent. She was surely someone who would pester him, and he knew that.

That doesn't mean he would only suspect her though. He knew people like Hitomu and Akio were going to pester him as well. Watari was someone who aligned himself with Monokuma, after all, so it's to be expected that the rest of the Ultimates would be curious about him.

 _Nonetheless suspicious._

Watari finished and stood up. He grabbed ahold of his empty plates and glasses, eyeing the group. "I'll head out now."

"Where?"

 _I knew they would ask that._

Watari threw Shinjimae a smirk, the man having been the one to ask him. "It doesn't matter to you, does it? Besides, sooner or later we'll cross paths again."

Shinjimae looked unsure as Watari chuckled. The detective quickly brought his plates over to the kitchen, placing them inside of the dishwasher and heading outside. He didn't bother to give the group a second look. He knew better than to do so, after all.

Watari glanced around the hallways, then hearing his MonoPad buzzing. A notification. The detective walked over to a corner before taking the device out, now opening it. There, he found himself greeted with a new message.

 **[Chatroom: (Group/Monokuma)**

 **(More on Top…)**

 **Monokuma: Hello, my fellow bitches! (09:05 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Just here to tell you all some awesome news! (09:05 AM)**

 **Monokuma: There's a new fucking place to explore! Awesome, right?! (09:06 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Just head east! Or… er, I think you go right! I know you guys must be thinking some shit like 'but fucking idiot there's a wall there', but nope! (09:07 AM)**

 **Monokuma: That's not right! (09:07 AM)**

 **Monokuma: That's just a facade! I built that there to make you all not suspicious! Well, that wall's been broken now and you could explore the eastern side of the school to your will! (09:08 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Well, that's all I have to say! Goodbye! (09:09 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari smiled, amused at what he had just read. He closed the device and shoved it into his pockets, knowing that his classmates would try to respond to the bear in a frantic, confused matter.

 _I suppose I'll investigate the eastern side of the school before checking for more information in the library._

With that thought settled into his head, the detective made his way over to the eastern side of the hallways. He headed over without much trouble, finding that- as expected- the wall which had first blocked whatever was over it was gone, instead the hallway now extending.

Interested, Watari made his way into the hallways. It was normal, similar to its look from the western side. The same lighting, same color scheme, same everything.

 _Well, that is to be expected, given that Monokuma merely cut off access to this side, not changed it altogether._

Watari noticed a door down the hallways. Well, there were two doors which were parallel to one another, one on the left and another to the right. They were facing one another, a meter away from an open turn north.

The detective decided to turn right, eyeing the metallic plate on the door. It was titled 'Medical Office'.

An idea of what would be inside of the room, Watari turned the handle and headed straight inside.

Inside of the middle of the room stood the standard white exam table, the sheet laid down from the middle. The walls were white as well, a calm yet almost eerie tranquility feeling to add to the sight. Watari noticed that from his viewpoint stood a painting of the _**Mona Lisa**_ from the left side, then to the right a painting from Claude Monet. From the front of the room stood the supplies and medical drugs which were hidden inside of the white shelves and drawers. Medical drugs were stacked together in one, flu masks and gloves in one, syringes in one, etc. It was basically the standard infirmary room.

 _Monokuma does seem to have his interest in paintings though… Or it's the school, not his._

Watari smirked. Despite the room looking as standard and plain as expected, he knew that someone like Misaki would scream at the sight of such a room. The surgeon seemed to enjoy her job as a surgeon a bit too much, so it's to be expected that she might squeal over the mere sight of a medical room.

The man then wondered if anyone would whimper at the sight of the room, but shrugged it off. He headed outside and walked over to the door in front of his face. The metal plate read the following- 'Computer Room'.

 _Ooh. This will definitely prove as a worthwhile place to investigate deeper into._

Watari opened the doorknob and headed inside, turning on the lights.

"Oh, Master Watari."

The detective frowned. Hearing a voice from behind, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly to himself.

He looked back and quickly threw out a mischievous smirk, eyeing the person who was in front of the door.

It was Decebel, the Ultimate Butler eying him with a polite bow.

"Aw, are you here because everyone else kicked you out?" The detective teased, amused at the man's presence.

Viorel took a step forward, teeth gritted in disgust. "You little-!"

Blanchard cleared his throat, forcibly switching the eyepatch. "I myself chose to go here. I wanted to investigate this place and report to the others as quickly and efficiently as possible."

"Hm, how diligent." Watari crossed his arms. "Are you trying to make it up for you having helped kill Wakana?"

"I do not hold such feelings," Blanchard admitted. "I have killed before in my work as a butler."

"W-why're you admitting that so openly?" Viorel asked, a bit thrown off. "Hmph. I feel like this would only cause Master Watari here to be more suspicious of us."

"Don't worry about that." The detective chuckled. "I'm equally suspicious of everyone."

Viorel frowned. "Is that so?"

"Don't worry. It's true." Watari turned around, now facing the computer room.

 _Equally being suspicious of everyone cannot be true. I cannot be equally suspicious of people, but I can try._

The detective let out a sigh. He decided to observe the room as a whole first, eyeing from top to bottom, left to right.

Like an ordinary classroom, the walls were painted in a calm white color, however surrounding the walls were boards and pictures that came from the work done inside the lab. There were metallic chairs that were seated across the four lines of tables, a desktop in front of each seat. The desktops didn't seem new, though they didn't seem old either.

Basically, it was a regular computer lab that a high school of an average standard could afford.

Watari first decided to eye the numerous amounts of pictures and work done around the room. Most of them likely came from projects- collages and cutouts to be seen. There were also some logos and CD covers to be seen. Obviously, it was a class which focused heavily on creation and design.

However, other than that, the detective could see a few pictures hidden around the walls. They were mainly pictures of students smiling for the camera, hugging and posing energetically. There were also a few pictures of the teachers in campus, their lanyards and older appearances making it obvious.

What caught Watari's attention, however, was a familiar face caught in one of the many photos.

It was a neighbor of his. It was a neighbor whom Watari knew all too well.

Tsubaki Saito.

Watari could easily tell that the person on the picture was her, having noticed her signature dimpled cheeks and cherry red lips. He could even tell it was Tsubaki from seeing how bright her purple irises and pink hair was, contrasting the blackness of her uniform.

 _This location… We're in Chiba City then._

He and Tsubaki lived in the Chiba Prefecture, and hearing that Tsubaki was to enroll in the neighborhood's local high school, Watari easily came to this conclusion without a second to spare.

Still, he didn't know Tsubaki merely because she was a neighbor of his. He knew that he didn't remember most of who lived within his neighborhood nor who he spent most of his elementary and junior years with.

No, it was the fact that Tsubaki had made it into the headlines as the first person ever to decline her Ultimate title.

To be an Ultimate meant that the government was watching you thoroughly and without fail. To be an Ultimate meant fame and fortune, good luck and good will. To be an Ultimate meant everything to not only the government, but to the person titled as an Ultimate themself.

And it was nearly impossible to merely decline the title of an Ultimate without being reprimanded by the public and by the government themselves. Once someone was titled as an Ultimate, there was no way out. People will automatically throw you as an Ultimate.

So, for Tsubaki to decline her title went straight into the headlines. She pushed further and further into cutting off her talent, and somehow surpassed the disgusted looks the governors and civilians threw at her. She forced herself into living her normal life with the risk of having that life be ruined over her desire to be normal.

 _Now that I think about it, the headlines made it seem like the entirety of Chiba was an enemy of the government._

Watari sighed. He never really liked how Japan fantasized over power and status. He knew that being titled as an Ultimate was merely meant for Japan to be seen as superior over the other world powers. To be titled as an Ultimate was merely a desperate need for Japan to look like they're progressing further and further than other world powers such as the United States and China.

 _Well, being an Ultimate has its ups and downs. You're blessed with fame and fortune while knowing you're being used and looked at as an object._

Watari frowned.

 _There's no use pouting about that though. At least I have evidence that shows that we're in Chiba, nonetheless Tsubaki's school…_

 _This location we're in is merely a regular high school, if not at least slightly better than your average one._

The detective then cupped his chin, pondering.

 _Hm… But if this is Tsubaki's school, then where is she and the others? Is it break?_

Watari sighed. He directed his attention away from the photo, now deciding to take a look at the desktops around the room. He noticed the Ultimate Butler who was tapping away at the farthest left desktop, a slight frown appearing on his face.

"Does it work?" The detective asked, curious.

Blanchard shook his head. "Unfortunately, it doesn't. I have checked a few other ones earlier, and those didn't seem to work as well."

Watari tilted his head. "Hm, shame. Maybe it's because they hate you~"

Blanchard didn't speak further, causing the detective to frown. He decided to take a look at one of the desktops himself, pressing into the power button. A moment passed. And another passed. There was nothing.

Watari let out a sigh.

 _I shouldn't be surprised that they don't work. It would've been too easy._

Watari took the time to check the rest of the desktops, but, as expected, they didn't work. Noting to himself about this information, the detective headed back outside to check the rest of the area.

He continued down the hallways, then turning over north. Heading upwards he instantly saw another wooden door in his pathway. He eyed the metallic plate and read the following- 'Dumpster'.

Watari couldn't help but smirk, amused at the title of the room. He headed inside, and, like expected, the man found himself smelling the disgusting odor of trash.

 _If I had to make an assumption, if Kyatchi was here he'd definitely say something along the lines of 'Oh, shit, this is my house'._

Chuckling at the thought, the man forced the smell away. He focused on the room around him, though he only saw the furnace and dumpster that surrounded the entire room. The walls were a dark blue color as well, rotten flesh and grease to be seen staining the place.

 _Well… I suppose there's nothing here._

And Watari quickly headed outside, relieving himself of the sight and smell.

"Can't even bother to treat my home nicely?"

 _Speak of the devil._

Watari grinned, quickly regaining his composure as he eyed Kyatchi. "I somehow knew you were going to say something like that, Kya."

"Kya?" The juggler raised a brow. "Interesting. Do you tend to give everyone nicknames, even to trash like me?"

"If I feel like it." Watari crossed his arms. "I'm surprised you're investigating. I expected you to stay still and wait for Hitomu or the others to report the news~"

Kyatchi shrugged, tugging at his bandannas. "They'll just reprimand me if I don't investigate. Besides," the man let out a small smirk, "it's a good time for me to scout the place out when I want to prank someone."

Watari chuckled. "Ah, I see. Interesting."

"Anyways, I'll continue the investigation. Bye."

The detective nodded, looking back as Kyatchi walked away from sight. Watari decided to move as well, eyeing the door that stood away from the dumpster. It was the workshop, the title being read as such.

Watari turned the handle and walked inside, finding himself now smelling the fresh smell of wood instead of trash. His sight, however, didn't help satisfy his body, for instead he found himself staring at a few people.

"O-oh! Hello there, Watari." Masako politely bowed to the man, a warm smile forced on her face. She definitely was nervous, fidgeting in place.

Tomoyo was the closest to Watari, her eyes staring at him intensely. She thought for a moment before nodding her head, greeting the man. "Hello."

Misaki smiled widely, uncaring about who exactly the man was. "Hey!"

Watari threw them a devious smile. "Greetings, I suppose." He then winked over to the screenwriter. "Especially to you, Moe."

Tomoyo immediately blushed and looked away, her eyes now fixated on the cutting board in display.

"Aw, what a flirt," Misaki teased. She ran over to throw an arm around Tomoyo. "Don't be so embarrassed."

"Yes, I know that," the woman mumbled.

Watari snickered, amused at Tomoyo's embarrassed display. He didn't mind teasing the woman more, however he was heavily focused on investigating on what he could find so far.

The room was white, as always. There were tables which were spread across and evenly around the room, spacious. Machines were to be seen everywhere as well, those which cut wood, melted metal, etc. To the back of the room Watari could see shelves which were carved out in wood, supplies and uniforms to be seen inside.

A normal woodwork room. It was merely a room meant to build and carve stuff. Nothing suspicious to take note of.

"I-I do wonder if a-anyone here could carve wood…." Masako was heard speaking to the other two women, her expression slightly relaxed.

Tomoyo hummed in response. "Maybe Kiyoko…"

Misaki noticed the woman's dejected look and quickly ruffled her hair. "Don't think about it! Let's think about something happier."

"O-oh!" Masako's eyes widened. "S-Sorry for making you t-think like that, Tomoyo."

"It's fine." The screenwriter awkwardly nodded her head. "I'm fine."

"Anyways!" Misaki turned to the survivalist. "I'm really happy you're not running away from us anymore."

"Oh…" Masako blushed, embarrassed. "Well…"

Watari was amused at the sight. Although he knew it was to be expected, seeing people engage in relationships and converse with one another was amusing to him. He would've expected the Ultimates to be more suspicious of one another.

The man took his leave, now opening the door and facing the next one. The door read the following- 'Art Room'. Watari couldn't help but believe that the room would be slightly similar to the workshop, and everything else.

 _Well, the color of the walls, I mean._

He turned the doorknob and headed inside, finding himself smelling paint instead. A strange smell, but nonetheless better than trash.

… _The walls are white, as expected._

Watari couldn't even amuse himself with that fact, only noting how the rooms were getting more and more bland within seconds. A sigh escaped his lips, and he continued to observe the room.

There were canvases surrounding a wooden box, the canvases having had paint splattered on each one in a mess. It seemed to have been recent, the paint still wet. There were even jars of clean and dirty water on each side of the canvas, then paint cans and bottles messily arranged on the floor. It was a messy room altogether.

Surrounding the sides of the walls were desks, shelves, and a sink. There were paper towels to be seen and a messily arrangement of art supplies in each drawer. A mess. It was just a mess.

Watari could only hope that Monokuma did this on purpose, or else he would've assumed that humanity was lacking hygiene more and more as the days pass by.

The man headed back outside, walking further downwards into the hallways. There was one door left before the detective could spot a barred area, metal bars blocking the pathway that would've led him further north.

 _Oh well._

Watari took a look at the door from turning left, noticing the metal plate that read- 'Greenhouse'.

 _Hm… Interesting._

The detective headed straight inside, suddenly finding himself hit with humid air. The fresh smell of nature enveloped his nostrils.

There were all sorts of plants surrounding the greenhouse. A small pond was in the middle of the area, then stone seats placed around the pond. There were bushes and flowers everywhere around the greenhouse, trees grown from the corners of the room.

All Watari could see were plants. There was nothing artificial about the plants either. They were real and were bustling great with energy.

 _I'm sure Wakana would've loved to see this._

The detective amused himself with this detail, eyeing the waterlilies. He sighed as he took a seat on the stone carvings, deciding to gather his thoughts for a moment. The humid air which hit his face didn't bother him much after all.

 _Hm… Monokuma is definitely limiting our access to this school. He's doing so by making us kill each other, I assume._

 _Why though?_

Watari cupped his chin, his elbow seated on his crossed legs.

Something soft nuzzled against his back.

Watari quickly looked back, eyes widening as he found himself being nuzzled by Saki. The dog was comforting him happily, and the detective looked onwards to them find Shinjimae, the animal whisperer awkwardly smiling at him.

 _I know people are going to approach me for being a 'traitor'… but it's nonetheless irking me._

"Do you need something?" Watari asked, sounding as indifferent as he could possibly can. "If you want answers, then I have none to give."

Shinjimae shook his head, a bit anxious given his stiff composure. "T-that's not what I want to do. I-I just want t-to greet you. I-I wanted to check this place out."

"I see." Watari eyed Saki who barked, eyeing him happily. "Well, don't mind me, dear. I'll get out of your way then~"

Shinjimae's eyes widened, noticing the detective who stood up from his seat. "Y-you're not a bother, so you don't need to leave."

Watari eyed the man for a moment, silent. He was staring straight into Shinjimae's eyes.

"Uh…"

Watari smiled. "I'll leave now."

Before the animal whisperer could even react, Watari headed outside the door and closed it. A sigh escaped his lips.

 _I suppose I'll investigate in the library now._

Watari quickly made his way back ground the hall, making his way over to the library.

The door, however, was already opened. Watari frowned. He slowly made his way to the door, tilting his head to peek inside.

The Ultimate Actor was inside of the room, frozen. There was nothing to be seen inside except for Akio. The traces of yesterday's incident were nowhere to be seen, and Akio knew that. He was silent as he stood still in the middle.

… _Contemplating about Wakana, I assume._

Watari watched the man closely, analyzing his movements and actions.

Akio was merely frozen for a moment- a long, long moment. He seemed to have been muttering something to himself, expression tight and hardened.

Watari frowned. The actor would be staying frozen and still as a statue, it seemed.

 _I suppose I could pester him away, but… I'll let him mope for a bit._

Watari composed himself and left, deciding to head over to the cafeteria. There were only a few hours left before Hitomu could declare that it was dinner time, but

nonetheless Watari decided to at least fetch himself a snack.

The man headed straight into the kitchen, grabbing himself a granola bar. He easily unwrapped the wrapper and began to munch down into the snack. His stomach grumbled happily in response, Watari leaning back against the counter.

A few voices rang out from outside. Watari walked over to the door to find Keishi and Hitomu, the duo engaging in a conversation.

Watari couldn't hear much of what they said, but figured it wasn't anything suspicious seeing as how the two men were smiling and relaxing. The detective figured that the duo were merely bonding.

The detective gulped down the last of the granola bar, then moving over to the nearby trash can to throw the wrapper away. Instead, walking over to the trash can made him litter, the detective jumping as he suddenly found himself eyeing Yume.

"Wow," the woman began, her arms hugging her knees. She was sitting next to the trash can. "You're so rude."

"E-excuse me." Watari frowned, a bit flustered as he grabbed the wrapper back from the ground. "But why are you there?"

Yume shrugged. "Can I not be here?"

"No, but it's quite interesting to see someone hiding themselves there." The detective raised a brow. "It does make you look suspicious."

"Hm, really now." The woman let out a soft sigh, standing up from her seat. "Guess I'll find another place to rest then."

Watari crossed his arms. "You could do that in your room."

Yume shook her head. "People could find me there easily. I don't want to be bothered by people."

The detective was baffled, but said nothing as Yume took her leave. A strange event as it was, the man sighed. He threw his trash away and walked out as well, catching the attention of Hitomu and Keishi.

"Hello," Hitomu said, smiling happily towards Watari's way. Kazue and Reiji were on his shoulders. "Were you talking with Yume?"

"You could suppose that," Watari said, a small smile on his lips. "Why're you two here?"

Keishi averted his gaze. "Uh… We're just talking."

The cat keeper nodded. "Just trying to get to know each other better, that's all. I wanted to talk to Ayako earlier too, but she locked me out."

Watari raised a brow. "She's in her room?"

"Mhm." Hitomu sighed. "She doesn't want to talk to any of us since she considers us 'bullies' or something along those lines."

Keishi coughed. "She doesn't like it when people gang up on her, I suppose."

Watari smirked inwardly. That was definitely a fact. "Well, don't pressure Ayako. The poor little murderer's too fragile for her own good."

"R-really now?" Hitomu awkwardly smiled in return. "I just want her to know that we can still trust her."

Watari frowned.

 _Everyone's too trusting. How sickening._

"I suppose I'll head over to my room to rest now." The detective began moving away from the duo, waving at them teasingly. He grinned as he left the room, not bothering to acknowledge the duo's words of goodbye.

And like he had said, the man headed into his room to rest. He threw himself to his comfortable bed and closed his eyes, deciding that he'd investigate further into everything later.

…

A knock on the door. Another. Another.

Watari opened his eyes, awakened rudely from the door's knocking. A sigh escaped his lips as he headed straight for the door, turning the handle and opening it slightly.

"Ah." Watari forced a playful grin. "You're here again, Moe? My, you really love me, don't you."

Tomoyo frowned, eyeing the man sternly. "We're waiting for you at the cafeteria."

"Do they even need someone like me there?" The detective asked, the door now fully opened. "They do know I'm merely going to watch them from afar and laugh at their stupidity, right?"

"... They still want you there." The woman pursed her lips. "Hitomu wants everyone involved."

Watari almost felt himself frowning at that, but he quickly kept calm and laughed. "That's because he's overly trusting of people. Everyone believes in such a thing as 'friendship' and 'bonds', however it's obvious that many of us are cautious of Ayako and Decebel, nonetheless myself."

Tomoyo was silent.

The detective continued. "Are Ayako and Decebel even present at the dinner table?"

"They are," the woman mumbled. "Decebel came willingly, however we had to persuade Ayako in for a while, nonetheless make sure the situation won't escalate."

 _Given that Akio's disgusted at Decebel and Ayako._

Watari smirked. "I merely took a nap before you woke me up. I was going to go to the cafeteria regardless."

Tomoyo's eyes widened, entire expression riddled with bewilderment. "H-huh? I thought you said-"

"I was merely playing with you." The detective chuckled. "You're too cute for me to not tease you."

 _Nonetheless analyze your every reactions and movements._

Watari stepped outside, closing the door behind him. He winked over to the screenwriter, signaling her to lead the way. Although flustered, Tomoyo led the way as Watari followed suit.

The duo made their way into the cafeteria, the rest of the group seated and patiently waiting.

"I'm surprised he actually came," Akio mumbled, then sipping into a glass of water afterwards.

"If he didn't, I would've been mad!" Ayako cried, pouting. Her eyes seemed to be red, most likely from tears- stressful tears.

"Well, we could at least discuss what we found now," Blanchard mused, nodding as he watched Watari and Tomoyo taking their seats.

Hitomu smiled. "Please do take some food. We will talk while eating."

"Yup!" Misaki raised her fork high to the air. "Bon appetit!"

Watari and Tomoyo grabbed their food, the discussion going into a steady start. The detective listened intently to what was being said, taking a chicken wing from the side.

"Monokuma opened the eastern side of the school," Akio began, eyeing the group. A determined look was written all over his face. "Did we all check that side of the room?"

Everyone nodded their heads.

The actor smiled. "Great! Hm… We should talk about what we each found individually. Is that fine, Hitomu?"

The cat keeper chuckled, biting into his piece of steak. "Of course. Please do tell us your thoughts."

"The medical room!" Misaki quickly jumped into the fray, eyes brightening. "There's so many things I can use there!"

"Yeah…" Tomoyo grimaced.

Akio simply smiled. "Well! At least we have a place to go to if one of us were to get hurt."

Kyatchi snickered. "Hopefully the things in there won't be used as weapons."

"Oh my-!" Ayako glared at the man. "Shut it!"

Hitomu awkwardly smiled, continuing. "In my opinion, I think what was most important about the eastern side of the school was what was found in the computer room."

"Right, that." Keishi eyed the group warily. "The desktops don't work though."

Yume sighed. "That's a shame."

"I know right?" Misaki let out a groan, annoyed. "We could've probably found a way out if they worked though."

Ayako pouted. "If only we had an Ultimate Hacker with us or something…"

"Hackers do wonders under the cover of the government. FBI agents and whatnot." Kyatchi shrugged. He threw a spoonful of corn into his mouth, easily catching them all inside. "Besides, wouldn't they prove as noteworthy opponents to Monokuma?"

Viorel scoffed. "Unless Monokuma one-upped the hacker."

"Anyways, the desktops aren't important yet." Hitomu frowned. "I'm more concerned about the photos."

Yume raised a brow. "The photos?"

"Ah, yes." Masako nodded her head. "I-I wonder if the people there are from t-this school…"

"Seems likely," Akio mused. "Do any of you guys recognize their uniforms?"

Watari smirked inwardly to himself, noticing the looks of confusion from everyone on set. He knew they wouldn't know.

"I see…" The actor seemed to throw Watari a suspicious, accusing look, but said nothing and went back to eating his food.

"T-That's fine." Shinjimae awkwardly smiled at the group. "A-at least w-we found something!"

"True." Blanchard nodded. "Something is better than nothing."

"We can conclude that students and teachers have habituated this campus at least," Tomoyo said, stern. "This school shouldn't have been abandoned."

Akio slammed his fists to the table. Plates clattered. "Monokuma is definitely hiding something from us. He's lying to us on purpose about our location and whatnot."

Misaki tilted her head. "Or maybe this place has been abandoned and Monokuma took this place as the perfect kidnapping spot."

"Hm…" Shinjimae bit into his lips. "I'm not sure…"

Hitomu smiled reassuringly at the group, quieting them down. "Well, that aside, what else have we found so far?"

"Hm…" Akio frowned. "There really wasn't much to go off of."

Blanchard nodded. "True. There really wasn't nothing to take note of other than the computer room."

"That's a shame." Keishi murmured, sighing.

"Well, don't worry about it!" Akio cried. "We'll definitely find a way out of here."

"I believe that," Misaki said, smiling. "We can get out of here if we try."

Kyatchi grimaced. "Ew, optimism."

"Guess we didn't find much today," Ayako said, frowning. "That's sad."

Watari chuckled. He had expected as much.

 _That, or they themselves are hiding something from one another._

Nonetheless, dinner had been served and done. Everyone had finished, and now everyone had left to their own works.

Watari himself have escaped from the cafeteria. He quickly made his way into the library and entered inside, relieved that no one was to seen in his sight. He first decided to observe the area.

Normal as always. It was as if Wakana hadn't just died inside of the room. It looked as normal as ever.

Watari looked over to the books, moving to the right. He checked each title of the book before frowning, moments passing before he finally decided to take a look at one.

He eyed the cover curiously. It was merely a book cover that was black with golden printing- that titled 'Behind the Covers'. Quite the plain title, but nonetheless Watari had a hunch that there was something else to be discovered.

He skimmed through the pages, a single thought in mind.

Briefly having skimmed through the pages, the detective was able to gather information that the story was dark and horrid. It was merely a story about a runaway princess who selfishly ran away from home, her parents having wanted to arrange a marriage for her. She ran in hopes of escaping into a normal life, however it was obvious that the princess held no knowledge of the dangers outside of the palace- racism, slavery, riots… everything was unbeknownst to her.

Watari closed the book, having read the closing paragraph. He knew that the woman would die.

He then glanced over to the books lined up on the shelves. He had read over half of the books so far, and he safely concluded that something was wrong.

 _All the stories I've read so far were dark and tragic. Even the nonfiction novels ended up miserably or held a darker tone._

Watari looked back at the book in his hands.

 _Similarly, most of these books held a similar topic or theme- that rebellion will only end up in tragedy. Why though?_

A sudden announcement.

"Hey, bastards! It's time to sleep! We got a big day ahead of us tomorrow!"

The announcement ended, Watari assuming that the meaning behind the words 'big day' meant that a new motive would appear.

 _Monokuma does want us to kill each other though, and he knows we'd kill one another with the right motive given._

The detective eyed the book in his hands, then walking over to place it back into its original spot. He walked back into his dorm room, heading inside and moving into the restroom to wash himself.

The faucet continued to run water. He could hear water splashing down into the sink.

 _I do wonder what the motive will be. Given that Monokuma wants me to 'try', I'm assuming he won't help me much this time…_

Watari frowned, now brushing his teeth.

 _I do not understand why he wants me to 'try', so I assume this has to do something about the mastermind._

He gurgled and spit, now heading into his room to change.

 _I'll have to see who would most likely die and be killed when the motive is released. Decreasing the number of potential masterminds is crucial for our chances of survival._

Finally having changed into a more comfortable wear, he threw himself onto the bed. The blankets were wrapped around his tiny body.

His mind drifted off from topic to topic, but he had finally fallen asleep after a short pause.

* * *

... And that's the start of this chapter! I hope you enjoyed the little twist here, or not. School's keeping me busy, but hopefully I'll be able to post at a decent rate *cries*. Anyways, hope you enjoyed this chapter regardless!


	13. Chapter 2 - Part 1, Part B

Alright, and we're back! We're back with the second chapter of this, er, second chapter! Hopefully you all didn't wait too long~ Well, I have nothing much to say, so have fun reading this chapter!

 **ToonGuy:** "Despair is only needed in Monokuma's life. He needs that entertainment. Yes, we are sticking with Watari here~ Pfft, let us wish for Tomoyo's safety and sanity around Watari. Oof, poor cat keeper. I think everyone just wants to see a fight break out, lol. Pfft, I mean, Ultimates are quite... 'ultimate'. Shinji deserves love, definitely. Conspiracies are definitely something fun~ Let us hope for a government crackdown in the story, or not. I don't know. Glad you liked it! Hopefully I'll be able to keep you happy over this story's turns and events~"

 **liammarklh88:** "Hooray! Cheers for a better day! Pfft, glad you like Watari so far~ Hitomu is our sweet little peacemaker, please protect him. Haha, I'm loving Kyatchi so far~ Ooh, I mean, do whatever you want, buddy. Relationships lead to death, so are you sure you want Watari x Tomoyo? Let us wish for the safety of everyone here. Yes, lore will definitely be much more important in this story than Disparity lol. Monokuma knows the readers want to see Watari interact with people, definitely, haha. Good, everyone can die now. Yeet, thanks~"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Upupupu, that is for the readers to find out. Rebellion will definitely be of importance, or else Watari (or me) wouldn't have mentioned about it. Conspiracies are fun, aren't they? Aw, thanks! I'll definitely try to not overwork myself!"

 **Meta King:** "Pfft, I see Watari is in our POV here. That's certainly an interesting murder. I wonder if someone will kill over it, hm~"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "OH NO, A LONG ESSAY! I love reading long essays, but responding to them takes a lot of time, haha. I do enjoy my long reviews, so keep at them, tiger. Ah shit, really? If I do that again in this chapter, please remind me. I need continuous reminders or else I'll forget about my mistakes until it's too late. You're quite the smart cookie, aren't you? Monokuma's segments are definitely related to the story in a way, especially concerning the case itself and/or a particular character, so watch out for those. Upupupu, keep wondering about whether Monokuma and MM are working together or not. Something will definitely happen to Tomoyo, ha. Right, screentime. Need to balance that out. Yup, a lot of new settings! I tend to give like a whole lot of stuff, huh? Yes, everyone is theorizing about the rebellion thing Watari pointed out. Good. Yes, glad you enjoyed it. Don't worry. FTEs will be coming soon~"

 **Abitat Eco:** "No, it's not required for you to review! You don't need to apologize! Just knowing you read this story is enough to make me happy~ Yeah, this story's much more faster than Disparity. I tend to write a lot of slow-burn stories though, and you could definitely tell that from Disparity's pacing and how AoD works at times, haha. Well, glad you enjoyed the first case~ Yes, now wouldn't you like to know the rest of Kiyoko's executions? Pfft, I need to work on balancing screentime. Hopefully I can give a lot of these characters their own time to shine. Hopefully I can continue writing Shinjimae and Saki to your liking! Aww thank you! Please rest as well~"

 **PainX65:** "Yes, I love you, bro."

* * *

Lights blasted on in the darkness, shining down in the center.

Monokuma was standing there, still. His usual grin was plastered on his face- creepy, eerie, unsteady. It was an expression that signaled danger.

Suddenly, music. An eerie, eerie tune played in the air. A childish, carnival-like tune.

It was offbeat. A beat off. A second beat off. The sharps were flat. The flats were sharp. It wasn't piano. It wasn't forte. Horrible. It was too horrible to hear.

Monokuma cleared his throat. That horrible tune must've been the introduction, for the moment the bear had coughed the tune abruptly came to an end.

"You wanna know something? A little secret? A little, teeny tiny secret?"

Silence. Monokuma laughed, applauding himself.

"Oh, so you do want to know! Ain't that lovely?"

He smiled innocently in the darkness, light only seeming to beam in his red eye.

"Alright, then your awesome dad here will tell you. Listen to Papa Monokuma, kids."

His voice echoed into the darkness.

"Here's the secret… No person can be truly good or bad. The truth is, we were all born to be both good and bad. No one can truly ever be 'good', and no one can ever be truly 'bad'. There has never been a person who's so far off the left or right hand of the spectrum. Everyone's stuck in the middle and either move left or right in a certain degree."

Monokuma clapped his hands together. It seemed like that was the end of his little 'secret', for that familiar offbeat tune was now playing, lively as ever.

Watari awoke the moment Monokuma sounded off the announcement.

"It's morning, so wakey wakey sleepyheads!"

A quick and straightforward announcement that ended within a second.

The detective frowned, rubbing his tired eyes. He glanced around the area for a while before stepping out from his bed, tidying it for a moment before moving towards his MonoPad.

He powered on the device. It booted open instantaneously, the first blank screen now brightened and showcasing the menu screen. He noticed that he had gotten a few notifications from the chat room, and he could only assume those messages were from the group chat.

Still, he was curious. He clicked onto the application and was immediately sent to the chat room.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on Top…)**

 **Keishi: Uh… We're going to meet again at breakfast, right? (06:46 AM)**

 **Ayako: I think so. (06:46 AM)**

 **Blanchard: Master Hitomu would be very saddened if we were to split up the times when we eat, I would assume. (06:47 AM)**

 **Misaki: Wait, does that mean we're working together or not though? (06:49 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I-I would like for us to work together… (06:50 AM)**

 **Masako: Not to be r-rude, but I-I think it depends on what e-each of us want individually. (06:51 AM)**

 **Akio: I mean, that's a given. I know some of us would like to work individually though as much as I don't like it. (06:52 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: B-but look on the bright side! W-we might b-be able to get things done faster! (06:52 AM)**

 **Viorel: If we are actually able to avoid the shiSEFDGVNJD (06:53 AM)**

 **Masako: E-excuse me? (06:54 AM)**

 **Ayako: Uh… are you okay? (06:54 AM)**

 **Blanchard: Apologies. I do not want Viorel to dirty your eyes with his foul language. (06:56 AM)**

 **Ayako: Uh, sure. (06:56 AM)**

 **Misaki: Pfft, alright. (06:56 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: I know I'm late, but… (07:05 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: FUCK. (07:05 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: There, I dirtied your eyes, children. (07:06 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari blinked for a few seconds, wondering what he had just read. He was beginning to wonder if the sanity had been drained from the poor little Ultimates' heads. It wouldn't be a surprise considering how they had immediately ran off the tracks in the chatroom.

 _That, or the poor little Ultimates cannot comprehend what is happening._

Which, that is, is most likely the case.

The detective let out a small sigh, shaking his head. Although amusing, he wondered if these Ultimates would be alright on their own. He honestly just had to wonder.

Watari walked over to the restroom to quickly wash his face, then changing into a new set of clothes. He adjusted his clothes, removing the dust from the top before hearing the door knocking. He frowned.

 _If I had to take a guess…_

Watari walked over to the door and opened it, unsurprising to find Tomoyo who stood right outside.

"Are you in love with me or something?" The detective began, giving the screenwriter a teasing smirk. "You seem quite infatuated with me."

Tomoyo frowned, expression steady. "I'm just making sure you'll be with us at breakfast."

"Why? We're working individually afterwards anyway," the man countered, eyeing the woman. "Are you proposing that you want to work with me or something, dear?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "N-nothing of the like. I just don't want anyone to be left out on whatever we are discussing on in breakfast."

"Ah, you're quite the caring one, Moe." Watari crossed his arms. "So, tell me something- are you actually in love with me?"

"You're just trying to fluster me." The woman frowned, glaring at the man.

 _Hm…_

Watari let out a playful laugh, shaking his head. "Nothing of the like, dearie. I'm merely curious to whether you hold attraction towards me or not. Why would you personally come to meet me when you could message me instead?"

"That's because I needed to make sure you won't lock yourself in your room." Tomoyo's response was immediate. "I only want all of us to be together during breakfast at least. That's all. We at least need to meet together once to discuss our findings, whether we like each other or not."

"You're quite diplomatic." The detective was very much amused, taking a step outside. He slowly closed the door behind him, instantly locking it. "Well, diplomatic for someone who slapped Aki during the aftermath of the trial."

Tomoyo bit into her lips, averting her gaze. "Please do not speak about that…"

"Oh, don't fret, Moe. I do not blame you for what you did at all." The detective rubbed his hands together, chuckling. "Aki was laughing at the death of your dear friend. I understand that someone having laughed at a friend's death is very much uncomfortable and unjustifiable to you."

"Kiyoko…" The screenwriter's voice went quieter. "I can't blame Blaise though. His friend died."

Watari frowned. His expression went stagnant as he observed Tomoyo's facial movements. Noticing the woman's uneasiness and melancholic emotion, a sigh escaped his lips. He pointed at the woman, Tomoyo baffled before he flicked her forehead. A smirk escaped his lips as he heard the screenwriter yelping from the sudden flick.

"Let's not delve into such a dark topic this early in the morning. That won't do good to our stomachs, now would it?"

Tomoyo frowned, rubbing her forehead as she stared at the man.

Watari hummed his amusement. "What, don't be annoyed that I only spoke my opinion. Besides, you don't want to be late to breakfast, right?"

"That's…" Tomoyo looked like she wanted to say something, but dropped it and sighed. "Yes, right."

Watari smiles and made his way over to the cafeteria, hearing Tomoyo's footsteps behind him. Somehow, he wasn't surprised to find the cat keeper right outside the door, his two cats running around in circles. The man's usual smile widened the instant he noticed the duo.

"It is a pleasure to see you two here," Hitomu greeted, warm with his welcome. "Blanchard and Viorel already cooked our food, so please come in!"

"We're not in a restaurant, Hitomu." The detective mused. "Don't act like a little waiter like Blanchard does too."

"I'm not, I'm not," the cat keeper said, chuckling in the process. "Don't worry about that, Watari."

"Aww, aren't you a sweet one."

Winking at the man, Watari headed inside of the cafeteria alongside Tomoyo. Everyone was in their usual seats, the butler having already set the utensils and food. They were ready to eat, everyone present with Hitomu closing the door behind them.

"Food looks tasty as always," Misaki said, complimenting the Ultimate Butler who nodded his head in acknowledgment. She was currently biting into her omelette. "Delicious!"

"Pfft, totally not spiked with laxatives," Kyatchi mused, smirking at Ayako who immediately tended up at the thought. He couldn't help but snicker as he plopped a cherry into his mouth. "Just kidding."

"Ugh!" Ayako groaned, the whiteness in her face immediately replaced with redness. "You're such a jerk!"

"I would never dare do such a thing," Blanchard calmly stated, disliking the thought. "Neither would Viorel."

"I can totally believe that," Yume rolled her eyes while murmuring under her breath.

"P-please don't be rude," Masako warned, eyes scanning the nihilist worryingly. She couldn't help but tremble slightly.

"Hm…" Keishi curiously eyed the group. It looked like he wanted to say something, but stayed quiet.

Shinjimae's voice was slightly warm as he stroked Saki's fur. "A-at least w-we can joke about things m-more comfortably now than last time."

"Oh, right." It was obvious what the man meant, or at least to Akio. His eyes scanned at the butler and lolita fashion model, but he said nothing more.

"So!" Misaki grinned widely, having slammed her fists to the table. "Anything new today to report?"

Silence.

Watari couldn't help but grin, deciding to break the awkward silence with a mocking tone of voice, "Aw, you guys are useless."

"Wow, that's rude." Kyatchi snorted.

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "Ah, w-well, to be fair… we just woke up."

"I doubt we would've found much while we were asleep," Akio countered, throwing a look at the detective. "It would be suspicious if someone was awake during the time we were sleeping, and stupid if they admitted it."

"True." Yume gulped down her glass of water. "I doubt anyone would tell us if they were awake all night planning stuff."

"I doubt you'd be awake," the juggler mocked, tapping his fingers. "You're always dead as a ghost."

Ayako frowned. "That totally makes sense."

Masako gulped, eyeing the group. "L-let's not be rude please…"

"They're not being rude," Watari began, smiling amusingly at the group, "They're merely stating their opinions."

"It's fine." Tomoyo calmly eyed the group. "If we didn't find anything last night, then we could find something today."

"Aren't we still working individually though?" Keishi asked, eyes directed to Hitomu.

The cat keeper cleared his throat, standing up close to his pets who were licking their drinks. "That's right. Of course we still have to report to one another, at least during dinner or breakfast time. Working individually will lead us to finding clues much more quickly than if we were to work together, seeing as we seem to have different paces and ideas in mind."

"I-I hope I'll find something today," Shinjimae said, a small smile curved on his lips. Saki was nuzzling against his leg. "Hopefully."

"Just investigate around the school again." Akio grinned. "I'm sure we'll find something. I want to get out of here."

"We all do," Blanchard mused.

Misaki sighed. "If only asking Monokuma politely works…" She threw her arms up. "Gah! Let's just dissect him!"

Keishi deadpanned. "Isn't he a robot?"

Watari smirked inwardly to himself.

 _Well, instead of worrying your pretty heads about what's hidden around the school, I'll focus on who's the mastermind and this mystery as a whole._

The detective's attention turned to Tomoyo. He eyed the woman for a moment before looking over to the Ultimate Butler and Lolita Fashion Model.

 _I should start by investigating those three… At least for information or cues._

Everything ended up the same as always. Everyone finished their food and left to their own bidding, Hitomu and Decebel staying behind to wash the dishes.

Watari stood up from his seat, stretching his arms out. A small yawn escaped his lips as he glanced around the room. Everyone seemed to have left except for Hitomu and Decebel (as explained before), though the detective noticed Tomoyo who stood near the entrance. The woman was currently speaking to Misaki and Masako.

Masako waved to the raven. "H-hello, Tomoyo."

"You wanna hang out again?" Misaki asked, smiling widely at Tomoyo. "We're planning to investigate the area again today."

The screenwriter awkwardly smiled back, scratching the back of her head. "Of course! I need to talk to someone first though."

The surgeon tilted her head. "Oh, really? Who?"

Tomoyo slowly glanced to Watari. "It's nothing important. I just need to ask a question and that's it."

"Hm…" Misaki eyed her friend for a second, then shrugging. "Well, okay! We're gonna be checking out the infirmary, so meet us there when you're done!"

Masako bowed her head down to Tomoyo. "W-We'll see you there."

Tomoyo waved. "Mhm. I'll see you there."

Masako and Misaki smiled back at their friend before leaving, walking past Watari and closing the door behind them.

Now, Tomoyo and Watari were left alone.

Tomoyo rubbed her hands together. Her locks of hair were swaying back and forth. Uneasiness was written over her face. The screenwriter heaved a sigh, then focusing her attention over to the detective.

 _Hm. She's that interested in me._

Watari snickered at that little tidbit, walking over to the screenwriter. "Were you waiting for me?" He began, teasing the woman. "You must really be in love with me."

"Nothing of the like." Tomoyo frowned, although her cheeks were a bit pink. "I was hoping to learn more from you."

"Why me? I'm a traitor." The detective crossed his arms. "Wouldn't the word 'traitor' hold something negative to it?"

"I don't know you nor the others that well, so I cannot believe in that. I think you've discussed this before." Tomoyo held her breath, her green eyes almost seeming to allure Watari with how fierce they were. "You know much more than I or the rest do. I want to ask you to share with us, if not, then at least only me."

Watari observed the raven, eyeing her facial movements and body language. It was obvious to the detective that the woman seemed worried, her breaths slightly heavy. He could tell that the woman wasn't used to direct confrontation, however that seemed obvious from what had happened between her and Akio. Despite Tomoyo's determined glare and confident expression, her body language told him otherwise.

 _Someone who tries to hide behind a tough facade._

The man grimaced. He tasted something bitter in his mouth, and he wanted to rid of that as quickly as possible. He cleared his throat and threw a wide smile. "What would you like to learn from me anyways, Moe?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened, hands rubbing against one another. "W-well, I mean, whatever you and Monokuma talked about."

The screenwriter definitely didn't expect Watari to comply.

The detective chuckled, amused. "Aw, can't you be more specific, dear?"

"R-right." Tomoyo cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "Ahem. First off, I want to ask you if you have discovered anything in the new areas."

"The new areas…" Watari frowned. "And why is that? We already discussed what we found yesterday, didn't we?"

Tomoyo frowned. "That doesn't mean people would hide what they themselves specifically found."

"Heh." Watari grinned, pleased instantly with how the screenwriter answered his question. "You really are quite the smart cookie, aren't you?"

"I think that should be obvious." The raven averted her gaze, fingers tapping to her hips. "I doubt many are completely trusting of Decebel and Ayako, especially Blaise. I know people would be cautious around those two and to an extent, Blaise as well."

Watari crossed his arms. "For example, you."

Tomoyo was bemused by this statement. It was an accuse thrown at her, but she kept calm and nodded her head. "That is true. Everyone would know that I'm, well, avoiding Blaise… Ayako and Decebel played a part in killing Kiyoko too."

Watari thought for a moment, continuing to observe the screenwriter. "I'm supposing you despise the thought of death?"

Tomoyo quickly stared at the man, unmoving. "Can we discuss about what you've found yesterday?"

Watari frowned. "What do you even yearn from me? What do you really want to know?"

"I just want to get information that can help us get out of here." Tomoyo clenched her hands. "I don't see why you need to hide information from us if you want to help us leave."

"You think I'm helping you guys? Dear, that's far off the mark." Watari bit into his lips. "I'm doing this all for my own personal gain."

"I don't understand you."

The detective smiled. "You don't need to. I do not require you nor anyone to understand me at all."

Tomoyo frowned. She was not surprised by what the man said, but at the same time she honestly wanted a different answer. A sigh escaped her lips. "Just tell me what you know, please. At least something."

"Hm, something, huh…"

 _I suppose I can relay information to her to search for her facial expressions and body movements._

"Fine then, Moe." Watari rubbed his hands together. "I'll tell you a bit about what I know."

The raven's eyes widened, lips curved to a pleased smile. "R-really?"

"Aw, you're that happy about it? How cute~" Watari winked teasingly at the woman whose cheeks blushed. "Well, guess I can give you where I think we are."

"Where?"

Watari nodded. "It's obvious once you've took a closer look at the pictures inside of the computer lab. The uniforms, for one, does detail the possibility of our location. Second would be the students, or, well, one that I know of."

Tomoyo's interest was piqued. "You know someone from the pictures?"

"That's right. You should've heard of her at least. I know her face and voice had been blocked out by the public for her own safety though." The detective smiled. "You've heard about the high schooler who rejected her talent, right?"

The woman nodded. "Everyone should've. It's been all over the news."

"That makes it easier for me then." Watari chuckled to himself. "Tsubaki Saito. That was her name."

"You sound like you personally know her," Tomoyo said, cautious.

The detective frowned. "You could say that. We were neighbors. Tsubaki Saito was the one who declined her title as an Ultimate."

"She declined her title as the Ultimate Choreographer."

"Hm…" Watari observed Tomoyo for a moment, his expression strangely unnerving. "That's true. Well, nonetheless, that part's not important. It's the fact that her picture, alongside with the others, tells us where we are. We're in the Chiba Prefecture, and this is Tsubaki's local high school."

"W-what?" Tomoyo was shocked. "But if we're in Tsubaki's high school, then doesn't this mean…?"

"Not necessarily." Watari smiled. "There's a chance that this building is a mere replica and I'm wrong. There's also another possibility that this school wasn't closed down and we're partaking in school grounds when everyone else has summer break."

"But then…" The screenwriter pursed her lips, hands cupping her chin. "The execution and trial rooms…"

Watari chuckled, leaning over to flick the woman's forehead. He didn't bother to hear her yelp in pain as he instead talked. "Aw, don't worry about that. It's called theorizing and thinking about hypothetical scenarios."

Tomoyo frowned. She was rubbing her forehead with a slight pout. "Watari… C-can you please stop flicking my forehead?"

"Aw, that's cute." Watari teased, but then nodded his head. He knew better than to annoy the woman further. "Sure. You just had to ask."

Tomoyo sighed, crossing her arms. "Why didn't you tell the others about our location?"

The detective frowned. He averted his gaze and sighed. "It's valuable information. Besides, they'll believe that I'm lying or they'll try to pressure me into giving up more information."

"Then why did you tell me?"

"You're the type to continuously pester me until I give in." Watari chuckled. "I rather it'd be you instead of Aki at least. Besides, I know you can keep a secret, right?"

"What?" Tomoyo blinked.

"I know you won't tell the others." Watari smirked. "You know that me opening up to you is a sign of me beginning to trust you, and you don't want to lose that bond. You want to keep me comfortable so I won't push you away."

The screenwriter held her breath. Her heart was pounding.

"Besides," the man leaned back, giving Tomoyo some space. He sighed as he scratched his head. "That information isn't truly valuable to me. Our location will be revealed sooner or later regardless of what happens. It's why Monokuma's doing this and who exactly are you all to him that I value most."

"T-then…" Tomoyo couldn't help but nervously sweat. "You don't care if I tell the others that I figured out our location?"

 _Hm, interesting. Her reactions so far have been genuine. She's slowly making her way off of my 'suspects' list, but reactions aren't enough. I need to see how she brings this information to the group._

Watari clapped his hands together. "Exactly! You really are the intelligent one here, Moe."

Tomoyo blushed slightly by the compliment. "I see."

The detective tilted his head, noticing the silence that loomed in afterwards. "Hm? Is there a problem?"

"Nothing of the like! Please excuse me then."

Watari was silent, watching Tomoyo who left the room. He hummed with interest, noting how amusing the screenwriter's reactions were to him.

 _Hm… Well, that information is not truly valuable. Monokuma wouldn't have kept those pictures on display if it were valuable. It's just a matter of who exactly recognizes Tsubaki._

"Oh? Watari, you're still in here?"

Watari looked back, finding Hitomu and Decebel who walked outside the kitchen. They seemed to have been done with their work, the duo outside and wiping the sweat off of their foreheads. Kazue and Reiji were on the ground in the corner, resting.

 _Ah, right. I should talk to Blanchard and Viorel._

Watari smiled as he eyed the duo. "You finished being slaves already?"

Viorel scoffed. "Wow, rude."

"Please do not word things like that," Blanchard said, bowing politely to Watari. "I am a butler above all else."

"Heh." Watari turned to Hitomu. "What? Don't look so sad that I called you a slave."

"I'm not. It's about Kazue and Reiji." Hitomu eyed his cats who were on the ground. His eyes were quite wet, almost teary. "I think they ate something bad. They seemed fine until I gave them their food."

Blanchard eyed the cat keeper. "I do not remember you nor I putting anything bad in their food. The food in the boxes or fridge do not seem expired either. Viorel-"

"What? No, it wasn't me!" The eyepatch was switched instantly. "Don't put the blame on me! I didn't do anything, I swear."

"I'm sure it wasn't you. Don't worry." Hitomu sighed. "I must've forgotten to look at the expiration date."

Viorel frowned. "There was nothing that past the expiration date though."

Hitomu shook his head. "It's not only those two, but Saki as well. It's must've been the dog and cat food then."

Watari silently listened to the duo converse. A single thought was only present in his head-

 _Kyatchi did it._

"I'll have to talk to Shinji later." The cat keeper crossed his arms. Another long sigh escaped his lips. I'll probably check the infirmary for medicine as well."

Blanchard nodded. "I'll help with that if you need it."

"Oh, really?" Hitomu smiled softly. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Watari was eyeing the scene in silence. He supposed he could talk to the butler later, noting that the man would most likely prioritize helping Hitomu instead of speaking with him.

The detective inwardly sighed, then throwing Hitomu a little smirk. "As long as they're not dead, you'll be fine."

Hitomu shrugged. He seemed saddened, eyes now staring blankly at Kazue and Reiji.

Watari couldn't help but frown.

 _I suppose I should leave. Maybe I can see if Kyatchi did it._

Watari left the cafeteria, hearing the duo behind him wishing him a good luck. He honestly didn't need their wishes, taking his time to walk over into the dormitories and moving towards Kyatchi's door.

 _Well, let's see._

The man knocked on the door. He waited patiently as it slowly opened.

Watari waited for a second. Nobody was in front of the door to greet him. The detective frowned.

 _Am I being pulled into a trick?_

The detective sighed. He didn't want to be tricked nor did he have the time for such petty games, but since he came all the way to Kyatchi's door he decided to move forward.

He walked inside before the door closed. His eyes widened as he found himself being pulled to the corner, a sudden arm wrapped around his neck and a hand covering his mouth.

A breath of air was heaved.

"Don't move or I'll shoot- Oh, it's just you."

Watari deadpanned, then inwardly sighed as he felt himself being released. He looked back to find Kyatchi, the juggler yawning as he walked away from the corner.

"I thought you were Blaise or Ayako." Kyatchi began. He grinned wryly, staring at Watari. "They're easy to scare."

"I'm surprised they would fall for this." The detective chuckled.

"Same." The juggler then frowned. "What do you want?"

"Merely asking for my own sake." Watari crossed his arms. "You drugged the pets' food, didn't you?"

"Oh. Of course not." Kyatchi raised his hands up. "I would never do such a horrible thing like that."

The detective snorted. "Pfft, please. Dear, there's no one else who would've even tried to mess with Hitomu and Shinji other than you. It's obvious."

"Wow, you got me." Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "What ever shall I do now?"

"Well~" Watari spun around childishly. He abruptly stopped after a few rotations and pointed at Kyatchi, motioning a gun shooting. "Boom! Your crime is punishable by death."

"You act like a toddler." The juggler chuckled, amused. "So, why did you feel like asking me? You don't care for Hitomu and Shinji's pets, right?"

The detective released his motion, shrugging. "I don't. Just needed to narrow down my list of suspects and observe your reactions."

 _Though the only thing I can deduce from you is that you always seem willing to die._

"Is that so?" Kyatchi eyed the detective for a moment. He blinked before sighing, idly toying with his bandannas. "So, how was it? You found anything yet other than my need to die?"

"Ah, you're perceptive." Watari tapped his fingers. "Well, Kya, why did you feel the need to prank Hitomu and Shinji?"

The man frowned. "Merely because there's nothing else to do. I have no need to investigate when the only thing I can wait for here is for my demise."

"But!" Watari stopped the juggler in his tracks. "You do know that Monokuma wants those who die to be scared about dying?"

"Well, he can't help but need to die." Kyatchi snorted.

The detective tilted his head. "Suicide is an option."

"That sounds lovely." Kyatchi grinned, almost satisfied with what the man had just said. "I feel like Monokuma will stop me from doing so though. There isn't any fun in me committing suicide."

Watari frowned. "I see."

"Is that all?" The juggler crossed his arms. "Are you done speaking to me?"

The detective raised a brow. He inwardly sighed as he took another moment to observe the man's behavior.

 _Quite the enigma. He only wants to die and will be satisfied if he dies. That could be a lie though. People value their lives above all else. They're selfish._

 _Kyatchi does not want to die… If he does… Hm…_

Watari smirked dryly at the man, winking. "Definitely done with you for the day, but I'd love to have a taste of you more as time goes on."

"Heh." Kyatchi snickered. "That's kinky."

The detective nodded before taking his leave, closing the door behind him. A sigh escaped his breath, the man almost wanting to slouch to the ground.

 _I need to talk to him more in order to get a better grasp of his personality. I have an understanding of people like Tomoyo, Akio, but the others… I need to talk to them more. Everyone will be hiding something, and I know that._

Watari glanced around the hallways, scanning silently. Nobody was in sight.

The man decided to move, about to leave back outside until he accidentally bumped into something.

"Ouch!"

Watari rubbed his nose, pained. He looked ahead of him before deadpanning, a bemused smirk creeping to his lips.

 _Another enigma…_

"You are a literal ghost," the detective began, eyeing Yume. The woman was staring at him, unaware of what the man meant. "Why are you here?"

Yume let out a small yawn. "I wanted to sleep. That's all. Can't you leave me alone?"

Annoyance. Watari could find the subtle look of annoyance in the woman's eyes. He let out a small sigh, composing himself and now calm. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bump into someone who's a literal ghost lurking in this world."

Yume shrugged. "Apology accepted. Bye."

Watari frowned. He looked back to find Yume walking past by him, heading her way into her room. He was unable to come up with something to say as she disappeared, the door slammed shut.

The detective bit into his lips. Blood was pumping through his veins, however he heaved a deep breath and sighed.

 _She's quite the mystery. I might have to talk to her more._

Watari quickly took another look around the hallways. No one. There was no one in sight, and he made double sure of it.

 _Alright, I'll head back to the library and investigate some more._

Certain of this, the man headed straight towards the library. He past through the hallways and moved around, easily walking to the room. He opened the door, taking a step inside before he found himself baffled.

Watari found Shinjimae and Keishi inside, the duo gathering a few books. Noticing the novellas and textbooks on the ground, that was what the detective could assume.

"O-oh!" Shinjimae was the first to notice the detective, his lips curved to a healthy smile. "Hello, Watari."

Keishi looked back, only nodding before looking away again.

"What're you doing here?" Watari asked, curious. "Are you looking for books on how to treat Saki?"

"O-oh, Hitomu told y-you about it?" Shinjimae's smile saddened. He slowly nodded his head. "T-that's right. I-I wanted to see if t-there were any manuals on how to treat animals. I-I ended up bumping into K-Keishi here, so h-he decided to help me."

Keishi hummed in acknowledgment. "It's fine. I don't mind."

The animal whisperer quickly shook his head. His attention was entirely focused on the detective. "W-what are you doing here, W-Watari?"

The detective smiled. "Nothing special. Just going to see if there is anything interesting to read."

"O-oh, I see." Shinjimae nodded. "T-then please don't mind us. H-hopefully we aren't a bother to you."

"You're not," Watari answered, brief.

 _Though those two being here will stall my investigation. I don't want them to be suspicious of whatever I look for. I suppose I can talk to them instead and gauge their reactions._

The detective cleared his throat. "Have you found anything of use yet?"

"No." Keishi shook his head. "We've been here a few minutes ago and we haven't found anything yet."

"Ah, I see." Watari scanned the shelves. "Saki's sick, or so I've heard."

"Mhm…" Shinjimae's expression gloomed as he continued to rummage through the shelves. "I-I don't know why though. S-she must've ate something bad."

"Isn't that Hitomu and Decebel's fault?" Keishi asked, softly.

"O-of course not!" The animal whisperer's green eyes widened. "I-I would never blame them. T-they're good people."

"Even despite Decebel having participated in killing Wakana?"

Shinjimae froze. Watari's words crept into his ears so quickly that the man was unsure of what to say. His mouth was slightly agape as he froze in place, unmoving.

Even Keishi himself was unmoving. The survivor was silent, moving his hands slowly through the shelves. He didn't speak.

 _Hm, not sure, huh?_

Watari quickly clapped his hands together, ruining the tension. "Don't mind me! It was a careless question to ask. I deeply apologize for that."

"Ah…" Shinjimae's shoulders loosened. He forced a small smile. "Y-yes, of course. P-please refrain from asking such things again, p-please."

Keishi sighed. "Seriously…"

"Aw, were you two scared? I'm sorry~" Watari bowed his head down. "I won't scare you two ever again. You two are too precious."

The animal whisperer shook his head. "N-no! It's fine. I-I think I bothered you yesterday anyways, s-so you don't need to apologize."

"Bothered me?" Watari reflected back on what he did yesterday. He faintly remembered pushing Shinjimae aside. "Ah, don't worry about that. You should know by now that I prefer to shy away from the crowd."

"O-of course." Shinjimae smiled sweetly. "Thank you."

"Oh!" Keishi's eyes widened as he took out a book from the shelf. He turned to the animal whisperer. "Will this one work?"

"L-let me see…" Shinjimae grabbed ahold of the book Keishi had, eyeing the cover. His smile widened as he read the title. "O-oh, I think this one's good! Thank you!"

The survivor blushed, averting his gaze. "It's no problem… I'm glad I was able to help."

The animal whisperer was satisfied now, hugging the book tightly around his arms. "I-I'll make sure to tell Saki to thank you."

"W-what?" Keishi's face became even redder. "Y-you don't need to do that."

"N-no, it's c-common courtesy!" Shinjimae let out a giggle. "S-Saki will definitely thank you!"

"If you insist…" The survivor smiled softly. "I'm glad I was able to help you, Shinji."

"Mhm!"

Watari observed the scene with interest, a smirk arriving on his lips. He couldn't help but find amusement from how Shinjimae was able to make Keishi blush, especially since the animal whisperer was oblivious about it. It seemed like Keishi also enjoyed the warmth from Shinjimae, the man's expression having been softer more than ever.

 _Those two seem to be close._

The detective chuckled to himself. However, before the man was able to deduce anything more in his head, a sudden announcement rang throughout the building.

"Attention, attention, all Ultimates!" It was Monokuma. That high-pitched voice was all too familiar. "Come straight to the auditorium! Papa Monokuma here has a great little present for you shits!"

"W-what was that?" Happiness immediately switched into fear. Shinjimae's face was pale. "M-Monokuma… present…?"

Keishi sighed underneath his breath. Slight irritation was on his face. "It's… it's going to be something bad."

 _The motive._

Watari instantly knew that it was the motive. It was too sudden and too obvious- from the way Monokuma made the announcement to when he made it. The overseer was too excited for this to sound like anything else other than a motive.

 _Well, let's see. I wonder what Monokuma has in store for us._

Watari walked over to the door, hearing Shinjimae and Keishi following behind him. The trio made their way down the hallways, turning over to the auditorium. Watari slowly creeped open the door, peeking inside. Everyone was present. The detective continued inside as the door closed behind him, Keishi and Shinjimae following him inside.

Murmurs escaped throughout the room.

"This better not be what I think it is," Akio cursed underneath his breath, his body shaking. "Monokuma…"

Blanchard folded his arms, calm. "Hopefully it isn't what we think it is."

"B-better not!" Ayako was as white as a sheet. "I want to get out of here!"

"Calm down!" Hitomu quickly tried to soothe the Ultimates, shushing them. "I'm sure whatever Monokuma presents us won't cause anymore deaths."

Kyatchi snickered. "Pfft, I honestly doubt that."

"You are so optimistic," Yume retorted. She didn't seem to care much either though, stretching her arms and rubbing her eyes.

Masako was holding her hands tightly, murmuring under her breath. She was acting as if she were to be in prayer. "P-please let us be safe…"

"Don't worry!" Misaki threw her hand up. A scalpel was gripped tightly around her fingers. "Monokuma won't get through us! I'll make sure of it."

The juggler snorted. "Aww, you're my hero. I feel like I'm falling for you."

The sound of static. Everyone covered their ears before Monokuma jumped on stage.

"What's up, delicious children!"

The static disappeared without a trace left to be seen.

Akio groaned, removing his hands from his ears. "What the hell Monokuma?"

"Needed to shut you guys up. I have a beautiful motive to present, after all!"

Ayako's eyes widened. Her entire body froze. "M-motive?!"

Keishi bit into his lips. "I knew it…"

Monokuma nodded his head rapidly as he stood atop of the stage, holding his head high and proud. "You guys wanna guess what I have in store for you all?"

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "More blackmail pictures? Maybe they're videos next instead of photos?"

"Okay, I'm not that lazy." The bear deadpanned. "Any other guesses?"

Silence.

"No, alright then!" Monokuma jumped in place. "I'll present to you all my new motive! It's called… 'Wishing Upon a Imaginary Star'!"

Tomoyo was baffled. "What? What does that mean?"

"Lemme explain!" Monokuma pointed his paw up, pointing at nothing but the ceiling above them. "This motive is self-explanatory! If you kill someone and escape being voted as the blackened, then you get to wish upon a star and fulfill that wish! I'm gonna fulfill your wish if you successfully escaped being caught~"

"What…?" Hitomu blinked a couple of times, then shaking his head. "There's no way that can be possible. A wish is nothing more than-"

"Oh, you're a skeptic. Bitch, I am fucking God!" Monokuma raised both of his paws now, almost glorifying himself. "Look, I'll give an example! Give me a fucking wish."

"Uh…"

Everyone was unsure of what to do. They were exchanging glances with one another.

"Ugh, you guys are so stupid!" Monokuma groaned, throwing his head back. "Here, I'm gonna make my own wish and give you an example. Please look closely, dears."

The bear stood up straight now. He heaved a deep breath before crossing his arms.

"I'll teleport Hitomy and Shinny's pets here and when they come they'll instantly be fine."

Hitomu paled. "W-wait, what?!"

It was too late. Monokuma immediately began to mumble his wish under his breath. Seconds passed as the bear continued to mumble until suddenly a white light began to glow around him.

A white, white flashing light.

"It's so bright!" Misaki groaned, covering her eyes. "What is this?!"

The light continued to flash obnoxiously. It flashed and flashed and flashed until the sounds of angels began to echo throughout the room.

 _WHOOSH!_

The light disappeared. A gust of wind blew by the Ultimates, Watari feeling a strong gust blowing through his body.

Second passed. The detective slowly opened his eyes, then widening in shock as he immediately dropped his arms.

In front of Monokuma's body was the animals- Saki, Kazue, and Reiji. The three animals were resting peacefully in front of the bear, sleeping in comfort before slowly opening their eyes. They began to look around the room for a moment before instantly noticing their owners. Happiness escaped their faces as they pounced at Shinjimae and Hitomu.

"W-what?" Hitomu bent down to grab ahold of Kazue and Reiji. He was completely baffled as they purred, nuzzling against him. They were the same as they had been before, happy and relaxed. "How…?"

Shinjimae whipped his head over to Hitomu. His hand was continuously stroking against his dog's fur. "S-Saki's perfectly healthy!"

"Wow, what a waste of effort," Kyatchi murmured underneath his breath, sighing. "Oh well."

"You see that?" Monokuma grinned, wiping the invisible sweat from his forehead. "I'm a fucking God!"

"R-really now?" Akio was completely baffled, eyes darting back and forth from Hitomu to Shinjimae. "T-that's supernatural."

"Agreed." Yume frowned. "I can't believe it. There must be a trick behind this."

"Nope, you saw it with your very own eyes." Monokuma snickered. "I fucking healed those little pets in front of your very own eyes, nonetheless teleported here. How could you disprove me?"

"Well…" Keishi had no idea of what to say.

"See? So that's basically the motive," Monokuma said, speaking in a slightly calm voice. He crossed his arms, now steady and idle in his expression. "So, you kill someone and if you succeed, a wish will be granted to you as well as your escape to freedom. Isn't that a tantalizing deal?"

"That's…" Tomoyo shook her head. "No one would buy this."

"You sure about that?" The bear chuckled. "Do you guys know me? I'm a fucking God, and whatever you want I'll provide for you. That is, well, as long as you're able to escape being called the blackened."

Ayako frowned. "No one will kill over this!"

Monokuma laughed. "Stupid thinking! That's stupid. Everyone yearns for something they cannot get. People kill over the stupidest things, y'know?"

Watari cupped his chin, thinking for a moment.

 _Hm, it is certainly an interesting motive. Like Monokuma said, it is tantalizing. Nobody would have believed it until he committed that act in front of us, but then again… Humans are selfish creatures. Just the thought of having something granted without it being claimed as true is enough to get someone moving._

The detective smiled. He eyed the bear and began clapping his hands. "Well done, Monokuma. It certainly sounds like an interesting motive. It makes me wonder what else you have in store for us~"

"Oh! Glad you liked it!" Monokuma giggled. "I'm sure you'll find yourself amused with the rest of the shit I have in store."

Akio glared at the detective. "Watari…"

"Anyways, that's all I have for you all today!" The bear saluted. "I'll see you all later when someone dies! Good luck!"

Within seconds, Monokuma disappeared from the scene. He was completely gone from sight.

The tension continued to rise in the air however.

"Watari."

 _Hmph. Not surprised._

Watari looked over to Akio, the actor glaring him down. He smiled. "What is it, Aki? Do you need someone to hug you and tell you that we'll be fine?"

The actor scoffed. "Of course not. Did you know about this?"

"The motive?" The detective shook his head. "I knew Monokuma would be planning to give us a motive, but I didn't know what exactly it was."

"Are you lying?"

Watari snickered. "Isn't that for you to find out? I'm not Monokuma's little assistant for nothing."

Akio gritted his teeth, however he heeded Watari's words and ignored him. He immediately turned to leave the room, the others soon following suit behind him.

Watari sighed underneath his breath, everyone having left the room.

 _Well, I suppose this motive will help me gauge the reactions of everyone. Seeing if they care or do not, seeing how they try to negate the stress or how they counter this motive…_

The detective smirked.

Certainly. He knew for certain that the tension within the group was higher than before.

* * *

Ahem! And here we go! We have our motive for this case! Makes you wonder who would try to kill over such a stupid motive, huh? Well, don't worry. I know one who would, haha... Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll definitely be back for the next one, after all! The next chapter will be where all the fun is with our Free Time Events and all, so let us wait for that~

Also, going to promote some few things. As you may or may not already know, TheRoseShadow21 has a new SYOC up! Please go check out Rose's new SYOC and submit a character to them! The author liammarklh88 also is accepting characters at this moment for a story called Danganronpa: Salty Waves and Blood Coral! Please do check the story out because they need a few characters for their roster~ Oh, and another thing, if you have the time, please check out SanityRequiem's SYOC called Murder on the Despair Express and YellowTheWriter's SYOC Danganronpa: The Living and the Lost! Those are both very well-written SYOCs out that are currently accepting characters at this time.

Um... so yeah, I'll take my leave now! Thank you!


	14. Chapter 2 - Part 1, Part C

Ahem, I am here with another chapter! I hope I didn't keep you all waiting! I don't have much to say this time except to have fun reading~

 **liammarklh88:** "Aww, thank you! You're too kind~ Aha, I see Watari and Tomoyo are our ship here. Then again, there are no other ships so far, or so I think so, hm. Yes, I'm glad I'm portraying Kyatchi to your liking! We should things as meta as possible, so let's say the big twist is that we're the masterminds XD Yes, their friendship will be precious for sure. I was sure the wish motive would've been commonly used, but I guess not. Score one for me! Aw, thanks!"

 **ToonGuy:** "Glad you're happy to see my stories up, haha. Monokuma's a weird little bear, that's for sure. Surprisingly you are in the minority. I was sure more people wouldn't ship those two, haha. Pfft, rude opinions XD Oh no, don't give the trio of friends death flags! Mwahahaha~ What is even a suitable punishment for Kyatchi? He doesn't care about anything, pfft. Watari's a smug little teenager. I see people like Shinji and Keishi's little relationship. I love wishes, so I will wish upon a star. Aw, thank you so much!"

 **Meta King:** "The pinnacle of life, definitely. Pfft, smug Watari is smug Watari. Oh my gosh, poor Yume then XD Ooh, a trilogy, interesting. Pfft, yes, everyone will kill and die soon~"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "I'm surprised that a wish is a new motive. I thought for sure someone else would've thought of that XD Yes, yes, of course! I will advertise you and Lupus as much as I could."

 **Abitat Eco:** "Aw, thanks! Glad you enjoyed this update! Oof, yes, Kyatchi, don't hurt the poor animals. They haven't done anything to you D: Viorel does have a potty mouth, and that's why we love him. Tomoyo seems to have a lot of death flags, and those death flags are because of her screentime, haha. Yes, Watari, don't flick foreheads! Yes, don't you love the friendships here~? Aww, thanks! I'm just happy you enjoy my stories!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Oof, another long review, as always XD Anyways, I'll go review this as briefly and best as I could. Don't worry, you'll have more of these dream sequences, so of course you'll come to your own theories and solutions. Kyatchi is the type to not care about what others think, haha. Watari and Tomoyo's relationship is the highlight of this chapter, other than the motive and of course the murder. Haha, glad you like Tomoyo's little group of friends. Watari's a jerk, punch him for flicking foreheads. I see Kyatchi is an enigma here. Yes, one must wonder about the motive in one way or another. Keep wondering~ Haha, of course, of course."

* * *

"In the end, people prioritize themselves more than they prioritize others. That's why crimes are committed."

A smirk arose from the monochrome bear.

"No, no, it isn't just killing. Thievery, counterfeiting money, coup d'etats, kidnapping… These crimes have been committed simply because of how selfish people are."

The bear sipped quietly into his beer, a refreshment used merely to satisfy himself and to relax the mood of the atmosphere.

"Yeah, I know, dear. Humanity's naturally selfish. In a non-religious context, the human species relied on their survival instinct. They have to be selfish to keep them alive. In a religious context you can argue that God created us to be imperfect. We have to prove ourselves worthy to be in Heaven or not."

The robotic bear was amused as the clock ticked time by. It wasn't anything but relaxing and otherwise peaceful, befitting of the atmosphere.

"Murders are committed because of a motive. A motive that relates to a person, something that touches their hearts- their psyche. Any sort of crime are committed because of a motive, and that's selfish."

Monokuma's smile never faded from his face.

"A crime can be committed by anyone. Their motives just vary."

The bear slowly placed his can of beer down. Looking ahead from his seat, his mouth began to move.

Inaudible. Inaudible. Inaudible.

"... Clearly. We commit crimes everyday. They're not crimes that would normally land you in jail, but they are crimes to the naked eye. They aren't warmly welcomed in society."

Inaudible. Inaudible. Inaudible.

"... If that's what you're arguing, then-"

The screen suddenly went black.

* * *

"Good morning my favorite little Monokuma fans! Get up, it's time for another day at school! Wakey, wakey!"

Another strange dream, and another mental note in his head.

It would do Watari wonders to remember what his dreams were about, but at the same time he wasn't entirely sure. Dreams were merely interpretations and are still a mystery to this day, but they do seem to pique his interest. He would rather remember something trivial than to not remember it, and so he noted this anyways.

The first thing the detective checked first was, of course, the MonoPad.

He stretched himself for a moment, then grabbing hold of the device and turning it on. To his expectation, once the device turned on the man found himself eyeing a few notifications on screen.

The group chat was still active as ever. Watari was quite curious to see when everyone would stop messaging each other in the chat.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Hitomu: The motive's quite… Well, how do I put it? It's strange. (12:39 AM)**

 **Misaki: You're up this late? (12:41 AM)**

 **Yume: Honestly, I think a lot of us would be. (12:43 AM)**

 **Yume: Some of us are more lively during the night. (12:43 AM)**

 **Akio: Er… And the fact that some people are worried over the motive, right? (12:44 AM)**

 **Hitomu: I certainly am. This motive is falling short of its credibility, but seeing him heal Reiji, Kazue, and Saki in front of us… (12:45 AM)**

 **Hitomu: I don't know. I'm wondering how Monokuma's actually able to do something like this. (12:45 AM)**

 **Akio: That's a good point! (12:46 AM)**

 **Akio: I would've said that Monokuma's lying about Saki and the others' states, but you and Shinji already confirmed they're fine. (12:47 AM)**

 **Misaki: Oh! (12:48 AM)**

 **Misaki: What if Monokuma was the one who made them sick? He could've made them sick just to pull that off. (12:49 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Hm… Good point… (12:49 AM)**

 **Hitomu: I'm not sure. This is just speculation regardless. (12:50 AM)**

 **Yume: You shouldn't really trust Monokuma that much. (12:52 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Yes, good point. (12:55 AM)**

 **Hitomu: I'll sleep now! Goodnight! Thanks for your input! (12:55 AM)**

 **Akio: No problem! (12:55 AM)**

 **Misaki: Have a good night's sleep! (12:56 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

This time, it seemed like the conversation had happened during the time when Watari was asleep. He was quite surprised to see that a few people were awake around midnight, but (as Yume said), people were different.

 _Though… What Hitomu and the others talked about does scream paranormal._

However, Monokuma himself was a strange entity. Everything that had happened so far was far from reality. How they didn't remember anything, how the trial worked… It was too strange, too paranormal.

Nonetheless, Watari could think more on that topic later. For now, he focused solely on fixing himself up. He changed his set of clothes into a clean one, then brushing his hair and washing his face. He brushed his teeth as he normally would, not at all in a hurry or in a need to waste time. He was just doing what he always did.

A knock on the door.

Watari sighed. It was obvious who was at the door at this point, and he wasted no time to head over and unlock it. "Yes?"

As expected, Tomoyo was outside of the door. "Please hurry. Everyone's already eating."

"Do I need to hurry?" Watari smirked instantly, completely opening the door. He eyed the woman who looked a bit distressed, slight bags underneath her eyes. He frowned inwardly to himself, but outwardly his smirk continued to paint his lips. "Aw, are you that worried over dying?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She quickly rubbed her eyes in an attempt to hide her bags. "That's not it. I was…"

"You don't have to act tough around me." Watari chuckled, amused. "It's obvious that we as a species are naturally afraid of death and would do anything to stop it."

"What?" The screenwriter was shocked. Her face paled as she hastily waved her hands about. "If you're implying murder, then that's not what I'm worried about. I'm not going to murder anyone."

Watari frowned. "Humans would do anything to get what they desire. You truly don't know yourself until you're at your lowest."

"Watari, let's not speak about this." Tomoyo glared at the man, expression hardening. "We all have our own perspectives, so it's futile to argue about what we believe."

"Is that so?" The detective pointed down at Tomoyo's forehead. A grin escaped his lips as the woman grabbed ahold of his wrist. "Well, then I won't speak any further about this, Tomoyo."

The screenwriter immediately averted her gaze, releasing her grip on the detective.

Watari sighed, rubbing his wrist. He observed the woman for a moment, watching the woman who turned away from his gaze.

"Let's go. I'm sure the others are waiting."

 _You're too optimistic. It's disgusting._

Watari gritted his teeth, and he was able to hold his disgust for a few seconds as he followed Tomoyo down. His eyes met Hitomu who was at the cafeteria door as always, his cats running everyone. The two animals looked as though they had never been sick before. Quite uncanny.

"Hitomu." Tomoyo was eyeing the man worriedly. "Uh, you should eat. You didn't have to wait for us."

Watari could see bags under Hitomu's eyes. The poor cat keeper was slightly pale as well. "No, it's fine. Shinji told me the same thing, but I wanted to wait for you. Blanchard and Viorel aren't eating either."

"Just to wait for us?" Tomoyo awkwardly smiled. "Uh… They didn't have to."

"Anyways, please head inside." Hitomu chuckled, opening the door. "We cooked ramen today."

Watari headed inside with the duo, everyone else seated at the table. Some people have them welcoming smiles, such as Shinjimae and Misaki. Others didn't seem to care much, people like Kyatchi and Keishi continuing to eat their food.

The detective sighed as he took his seat, bloody red eyes staring down at his bowl. It was empty, and he couldn't help but metaphorically believe that it was akin to the atmosphere in the room presently. Everyone was tired and tensed, Monokuma clearly having had a role in their moods. They were unable to smile genuinely- their smiles were empty.

Well, he honestly didn't care that much. The charcoal-haired man grabbed the ladle and poured in his cup of ramen, keen on simply listening into what everyone were able to say.

For starters, Watari was able to recognize that most of the conversations held within the room were limited. Friends spoke to friends, and any that spoke to the outcasts were hesitant and in mumbles.

Once a motive had been given out, everyone left to their personal space. It was obvious that everyone feared 'that' from happening again. They feared 'that', yet they came together in a supposed 'group' in order to avoid the breaking of hope and morale.

Tragic. Pitiful. Truly something that Watari would mock.

"Yo."

Watari's eyes widened, feeling something cold press against his cheek. He looked over to find Kyatchi, the juggler holding an ice cube close to his face.

"What?" The detective asked. He felt the cold liquid grazing his cheek. "Do you need something?"

"Aw, I swore you would've at least gasped. Can't you entertain me at least once in your life?" Kyatchi snickered, tossing the ice cube to the side. He grabbed his spoon and sipped into the broth of his ramen, now ignoring Watari.

 _Hm… Kyatchi seems bored. That's probably obvious though considering the fact that he doesn't care about anything other than death._

Watari chuckled to himself. He wondered if Kyatchi will ever have his so-called wish granted.

The detective sighed, roaming back to eating his food. He listened silently to the many different conversations around him, noting the dynamics and the bonds.

Some people preferred to eat alone, unwilling to speak to anyone. Yume and Kyatchi are an example of this, the duo simply in the corner to sit still and eat diligently.

Tomoyo was busy speaking to Masako and Misaki. Their dynamic seemed to be as stable as ever, Misaki taking her sweet time to joke with the duo who laughed at her. Masako was making a few jokes of her own, and Tomoyo couldn't help but smile at both of them.

Surprisingly, Keishi and Shinjimae seemed to be closer than Watari expected them to. Shinjimae took pride in speaking to Keishi, the other man nervous as he spoke.

Hitomu, Akio, Decebel, and Ayako seemed to be partaking in conversation as well. Hitomu was more than willing to speak to everyone, though it looked like Akio was readily ignoring the two accomplices. Decebel didn't seem to mind though, and Ayako was mainly focused on her food regardless.

Interesting dynamics that Watari will definitely take note of.

"Hey, Watari!" Misaki called out to the man, waving at him with a wide smile. She caught his attention easily as she chuckled. "You wanna come with us?"

Watari was intrigued by the proposal. "Why? Do you need me in particular for something?"

The surgeon scratched her head. "Well, that's because… Tomoyo here wants you!"

Tomoyo's eyes widened, face suddenly blushing red as she jabbed at the woman. "M-Misaki!"

 _An obvious lie. Don't worry about that, Tomoyo._

Watari smirked at the scene, watching Masako who quickly calmed down the screenwriter. He could see the others staring at Tomoyo, and it was obviously flustering her.

 _It's obvious that you just want to try bribing information out of me. That's fine. Just say so._

The detective sighed. He was about to decline when suddenly-

"Not now at least. I already asked to meet up with him later."

Watari frowned, turning to eye Akio who spoke to the group. The raven didn't know what to say, unable to even move his lips as the actor continued lying through a 'genuine' smile.

"Sorry if I'm hogging him all for myself," the brunette said, awkwardly smiling at Misaki's group. "I just need to talk to him about something."

"Oh! Really?" Misaki turned to Watari. "Sorry. We didn't mean to bother you."

Watari inwardly frowned, but threw out an outwardly smile. "No, it's fine. I know you all love me~"

"Uhuh." Misaki rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes."

Watari chuckled in return, then slowly turning to eye Akio. The man was smiling at him, though it was obvious to the detective that his smile was superficial, fake.

… _It doesn't hurt to see what he wants, I guess._

Watari sighed, now continuing to eat his food. He sipped into the broth after eating his noodles and tofu, finishing within half an hour. Most of the others seemed to have finished their own bowls, people slowly standing up and bringing their dishes to the sink. One by one, everyone was leaving.

The detective grabbed ahold of his own dishes, bringing them over to the sink. Hitomu and Decebel were inside of the kitchen, the cat keeper smiling sweetly as Watari handed him the dishes.

"You're going to talk to Blaise, right?" Hitomu suddenly asked, eyeing the detective. He had set the dishes aside, focus now entirely on Watari.

The detective eyed the man for a moment, then releasing a smirk. "Aw, what? Are you worried?"

"Yes, a little, to be honest." Hitomu awkwardly chuckled. "I'm just making sure you're not uncomfortable in any way. I don't want to see anyone doing something they don't like."

"Aw. You're so sweet." Watari averted his gaze, clearing his throat. "You're exactly like a father. Isn't that cute?"

The cat keeper laughed. "I have been called that before."

Watari mused, nodding his head. "I'm not surprised."

"Haha, I see." The man continued to laugh, however it slowly subsided as his expression suddenly turned wary. "I'm sure Blaise won't do anything, but he's still a bit unstable over what happened. Can you make sure he's alright?"

"Uhuh…" The detective frowned. "Sure. I'm only there to speak to him. That's all."

"I know that." Hitomu smiled awkwardly. "Thank you."

And that settled the conversation. Hitomu left to tend to the dishes alongside Decebel, leaving Watari to leave outside the kitchen and out of the cafeteria. He made his way outside, opening the door and looking around the area to find the actor.

"Aki~" The detective greeted, noticing the brunette who was leaning against the wall. He waved at the man with a playful smile. "It's nice to meet you."

Akio eyed him for a moment, then adjusting his position. "Can we talk in the library? I want to ask you something."

"The library?" Watari raised a brow. "Is it about your dear Wakana?"

"Don't mock me," the brunette growled, however he sighed and shook his head. "No, it's not. It's about something else."

Watari grinned. "Is it about how you'll kill me? What weapon I prefer to be killed with?"

"If I was going to kill, I wouldn't have made it obvious and confronted you." Akio crossed his arms. "Let's go to the library."

"Mhm."

Watari followed Akio down into the library, the duo silent on their way there. It didn't take long before the duo made it to their destination, Watari observing the area as Akio began rummaging through the shelves.

"So," the detective began, walking to the left of the room. He could see how dim the room was, shadows almost casting over Akio. "What did you want to speak to me about, Aki?"

Akio didn't meet Watari's eyes, completely fixated on the books he was looking through. "It's nothing concerning our situation right now. I just remembered something about you."

"Me?" Watari raised a brow. Akio's hands continued to move in between the shadow and light. "What have you learned about me?"

The actor stopped for a second, hands mid air. He thought for a moment before slowly meeting the raven's gaze. "I don't remember when, I think it was two years ago, but you were solving a case in Tokyo."

Watari crossed his arms, steadying his expression. "Sweetie, I solved plenty of cases in Tokyo, two years ago or not. May I know the specifics of which case you're speaking about?"

"It was around the time Ayako was releasing her annual clothing line." Akio slowly grabbed ahold of a book. The cover was white, the pages strangely black in color. He ran his fingers against the cover. "It's been all over the news- the murder of an Ultimate."

"Ah, that case." The detective smirked. "The case was abruptly closed and forced into silence. I was only able to get the information that I was able to before the executives forced me to drop it. My name was hidden from the media though, so why do you know that I handled it?"

"... The death of that Ultimate was close to one of my acquaintances." Akio turned to Watari, completely covered in shadows. "He complained about the case being shut down to me."

The detective slowly nodded his head. "Why are you bringing this up?"

"Isn't that obvious?" The brunette threw Watari a cold glare. "I want to know information about that case. It could be useful in our current situation right now."

"Hm." Watari grinned, taking a step forward. Amusement was covering his face. "Why? Do you trust me to tell you this information without fabricating it? What do I gain in this?"

Akio rolled his eyes. "The deaths and kidnappings of Ultimates are random, but not all of them. The thing is- there has never been a case where these cases have been fully solved. Ultimates rarely ever get saved… There must be some correlation between some cases here, so who fucking knows?"

The detective continued, taking another step forward. He was just inches away from stepping into darkness. "But you would trust someone who betrayed the group?"

Akio grabbed ahold of Watari's collar, suddenly looking down into his eyes. "It's not like there are other ways of getting information out of you."

"Aw, was that a threat?" Watari smirked, unmoving. "Who knows? Maybe Monokuma cares about my safety, so do you really think threatening and torturing me would work?"

"That's-!"

"Excuse us!"

Watari's eyes widened as he turned around, finding Tomoyo who was eyeing the duo worriedly. Behind her was Masako and Misaki, the duo unsure of what to do as Tomoyo threw Watari a look.

"What're you doing?" Tomoyo asked, worry all over her face. "This isn't the time to be petty."

Masako gulped, poking her head in the door. Her entire face was pale. "P-please stop fighting…"

Akio frowned, releasing Watari from his grip. He let out a small grunt as he quickly left the library, book in hand.

"B-Blaise!"

It was too late. Akio didn't bother to answer them, leaving the library without sparing time.

Watari was left inside of the library, bewildered as Tomoyo ran over to his side.

"I knew it." The screenwriter's eyebrows were furrowed. Her lips were pursed as she eyed the detective. "I knew he was going to hurt you."

"I-I can't believe he would do that," Masako murmured underneath her breath, cupping her hands. "D-does he really hate you that much to the extent of h-hurting you?"

Misaki shook her head, moving over in front of the detective. "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

Watari was silent for a moment. He eyed the women before averting his gaze. "Why do you care? I'm-"

"Who cares?" Misaki grabbed ahold of the detective's shoulders, keeping him steady. "You're so stubborn! Just tell us if you're fine or not. I mean, it's fine if we don't like you and if you don't like us, but to hurt and kill over it is just stupid."

"You shouldn't mess with Blaise either though." Tomoyo frowned, foot tapping at the floor. "I know you two don't get along, but… I mean, it's not right for him to hurt you. You shouldn't egg him on either."

"That's…" Watari found himself unable to counter the woman. "I suppose…"

Masako rubbed her hands together. "Y-you're fine, right?"

"Why are you three here anyways?" The detective asked, trying to steer the attention away from him. "Were you following me?"

"Oh!" Misaki grinned slyly. "Tomoyo was worried about you."

"T-That's…!" Tomoyo's face turned instantly red. "I just had a bad feeling, that's all."

Watari averted his gaze. "I see."

 _Why would you even care about me? I'm clearly hostile towards you._

"Well! Anyways!" Misaki smiled widely at Watari. "Stay away from Blaise, alright? We'll try to talk to him. I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm in what he does, he's just unstable at the moment."

"Y-yes, I believe so as well." Masako smiled shyly. "H-he had lost a dear friend, after all. N-not everyone can recover from that so easily."

"We'll talk to him, so don't worry about it." Misaki patted the man's back cheerfully. "As long as you or Blaise don't kill anyone over that stupid motive, then I'm fine."

Tomoyo frowned. "I doubt that you'll kill, in all honesty."

Watari bit into his lips. "Just because I work under Monokuma? If he tells me to kill, I'll kill."

"On the contrary." The screenwriter tapped her fingers to her hips. "That's too easy. He could've done that before, and that would've been too obvious."

Misaki tilted her head. "Huh. I really don't get what being Monokuma's helper means other than doing his dirty work."

"I don't think anyone of us do." Tomoyo pursed her lips. She glanced to the detective. "You never specify."

Watari frowned. "That's not the case."

"Aw, you're flustering him!" Misaki laughed, noticing the nervousness on Watari's face. "I didn't expect you to ever get embarrassed, Watari."

 _No, that's because I don't want you guys to know. Idiots._

The detective shook his head, eyeing the women. "Are you three done? I thought you guys were investigating right now."

"Ah, yup!" Misaki quickly backed away from the man, now turning to her friends. "Let's get going."

"A-alright." Masako turned to Watari. "G-goodbye for now."

Tomoyo nodded her head slowly. "I'll see you later then, Watari."

Watari was unable to wave the trio goodbye, instead watching them leave without even a struggle. He lets off a small sigh as he scratched his head, irritated.

 _That was quite the conversation. They must be trying to make me owe them one._

The detective then snickered to himself, amused.

 _It would make sense. If Akio wanted to learn from me, then it would make sense the others do as well. Their 'care' is nothing more than a lie._

 _Humans prioritize themselves over others anyways._

Watari suddenly calmed in his expression, silent. He observed the library for a moment- there was nothing special in sight. A sigh, and the man left the area.

 _I guess I should take a rest. They seemed to do wonders in tiring me._

The detective made a beeline towards his room, moving into the hallways and to the dormitories. He walked over towards his room before he suddenly bumped into something-

-no, someone.

 _Oh my- Again? Seriously?_

Watari quickly rubbed his forehead, and, like expected, Yume was in front of his way. She was rubbing her face, eyeing him indifferently.

"Where are you going?" Watari asked, curious. He decided that he could try engaging in small talk with the woman- small, small talk. "Are you going to find a place to die?"

"I can say the same to you." Yume eyed him, indifferent in her expression. "I was going to go get a snack, that's all."

"Aw, isn't that nice." The detective snorted. "I assume you haven't done anything to contribute to everyone, huh?"

"... Not exactly, if I had to be honest." Yume slowly caressed her hands. Knowing that Watari would hold her still, she turned to meet his gaze, her long strands of black hair swaying to and fro. "Why do you want to talk to me though?"

"Because you're interesting~" Watari took the time to wink at the woman, but seeing her emotionless reaction, he sighed and crossed his arms. "What? Do you expect me to be honest about my intentions?"

Yume released a sigh. "No, and you expect the same from me."

"Aren't you smart," the detective said, sarcasm apparent in his tone. "Well, dear, let's try to get along, alright? I know I'm dying to learn more about you."

The nihilist raised a brow. "Is that so? Do you want to bother with me?"

"Why not?" Watari threw Yume a mocking smile. "I'm sure you're dying for some attention."

"Not really…" Yume pursed her lips. "But it's your choice. I don't care."

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Yume?**

 _ **Yes, do it.**_ / No, it's fine.

* * *

"Of course." The detective clapped his hands together. "Let's talk, here or wherever. I don't care where you want to talk."

Yume sighed. "And I the same."

"Ah, then here is fine." Watari grinned. "In the middle of the dormitories where everyone may be able to hear us- you really are lonely, aren't you?"

Yume was silent.

 **Watari:** Don't worry. I'm not an interrogator or anything like that. I'm merely a human who works as a detective. It's nothing special.

 **Yume:** I know that. I'm not worried in the slightest. Why would I be?

 **Watari:** Aw, I was trying to be at least caring towards you! Oh well.

 **Watari:** So, dear, may I have the honor of learning more about you?

 **Yume:** … I don't care. Just ask me. You won't let me go until I answer you anyways.

 **Watari:** Aw, of course!

 **Watari:** Well, dearie, let's start this off at a simple, slow pace- what are your likings and hobbies?

 **Yume:** …

 **Watari:** Is something the matter?

 **Yume:** I didn't expect that. I thought you would want to talk about our situation instead.

 **Watari:** Of course not. We always talk about that with Hitomu and the others anyways~ This here is more about me knowing you as a person.

 **Yume:** … How will this even help you?

 **Watari:** Oh, don't fret about that. If you want an answer, call it apart of my wonderfully crafted investigation.

 **Yume:** … Alright.

 **Watari:** So, enough about me, let's talk about you. What do you like?

 **Yume:** For starters, doing nothing.

 **Watari:** You can't say that, sweetheart. You're always doing something. Whether breathing or blinking or staring at the wall- it's still something.

 **Yume:** Okay, okay, fine… I guess I like to read nonfiction stories.

 **Watari:** Ah, see, that's something. Any preference for your stories?

 **Yume:** As long as it's dark, then it's fine. I tend to like darker fiction a lot.

 **Watari:** Aw, that does fit you well. You do seem to be the type of person who's into the gothic style.

 **Yume:** … I do like gothic architecture, yeah.

 **Watari:** I'm right~ What else do you like? Oh, please do tell.

 **Yume:** … Birds.

 **Watari:** Really? I expected you to like the more darker type of animals- spiders, snakes, centipedes-

 **Yume:** Centipedes? No, I don't like them.

 **Watari:** Is that so? Aw, that's cute of you~

 **Yume:** You're just teasing me.

 **Watari:** What? Because you're still a human and can show emotion, even in the slightest?

 **Yume:** E-excuse me. I'll take my leave.

 **Watari:** Alright then~ I'll see you later.

* * *

 **Yume Hamasaki's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Surprisingly or not, Yume does have a few hobbies and likings of her own. She said that she does enjoy reading nonfiction books and her likes pertain to birds and gothic architecture. She also made a note that she doesn't like centipedes.

* * *

Watari smirked, eyeing Yume who made her way out of his sight. He couldn't help but chuckle as he mentally took notes of their conversation, noting especially her facial expressions and body language.

Slight disdain. Slight happiness. Slight annoyance. Slight excitement.

Yume was a woman whom Watari knew he'd should keep an eye over.

Watari quickly headed over into his room, locking the door behind him. He grabbed ahold of his notes from the desk and began to write some additional notes.

He made a note about what Akio tried to talk about with him. He also made a small note that detailed on what happened before- Tomoyo, Misaki, and Masako having stopped their conversation. Watari wondered if Akio will try to confront him again.

Watari then took notes about Yume. He had already taken notes on the woman beforehand. Having wanted to investigate on everyone, he compiled different sets of paper into thirteen piles- no matter if the person had died or not.

The detective frowned. He glanced over to the left and grabbed ahold of his notes detailing about Kiyoko. He read them silently to himself.

Kiyoko was the Ultimate Recreation Worker, and was the one to kill Wakana. She died after being found guilty merely because of the idea that everyone were killers.

Everyone being killers were a certain possibility. Certain, but unlikely at the moment. There had to be proof about that theory, and in the end Kiyoko had acted upon mere impulse.

 _Stupid Kiyoko. I thought better of you…_

Watari groaned, leaning back into his chair. He rested his head against the top of the chair and looked up, staring at nothing but the ceiling. The chandelier dangling was almost mocking him, shining and glittering to display its obnoxious extravagance.

… _I don't exactly know everyone in this place as well as I know some other people here. I'm not sure if they even recognize me. It's unlikely they do considering I only came to their help as a 'simple detective' solving a case._

The detective closed his eyes. He felt darkness enclosing him inside a bubble.

 _The case Akio talked about is still something that bothers me. It's annoying that he was able to figure out that I was the one in charge of that case as a detective. I made sure to hide under the public eye though…_

Watari softly bit into his lips.

 _I hate this. Everyone's corrupt. This is why the deaths of the many dozens of Ultimates have never gotten solved. The government doesn't issue any cautionary measures simply to blind the media from their incompetence. They force Ultimates to hold their titles through exposure and outright blackmail. They force cases to be shut down simply because of fear that the very concept of Ultimates will only cause our nation's world power status to fall._

Watari sighed, slowly opening his eyes. He brushed his locks of black hair as he looked back down at his notes.

 _If people are this hopeful about the world improving, then they're wrong. Nothing's ever going to change in the minds of the corrupted._

The man frowned, standing up from his seat and heading over to the bathroom. He decided to stretch, letting out a small yawn and rubbing his eyes. He washed his face, and that slightly made him feel refreshed again. He eyed himself on the mirror.

Slightly messy and painted in frowns and wrinkles.

Disgusting. Was he always like this?

A knock on the door. Knock. Knock. Knock.

 _Shit. What now?_

Watari quickly grabbed ahold of a towel and dried his face. He didn't care if his bangs were now all over the place, simply bothered with the door to even care. He headed over and turned the knob.

"Yes?"

He sounded annoyed, but he couldn't care less. He knew whoever was in front of the door will react the same way- suspicious and scornful.

"Ah, s-sorry!" It was Shinjimae. He was pale, having noticed the annoyance on Watari's face. Saki was quickly on the road to comfort the animal whisperer, nuzzling against his leg. "A-am I bothering you r-right now?"

Watari's eyes widened. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

Shinjimae jumped at the sudden words. "O-oh! Well, I, uh, w-was wondering if you know anything about h-how this motive works."

"Why would you ask me?" The detective asked, perplexed. "It's very likely that I won't reveal to you anything that I know."

 _Because I don't know. Monokuma won't tell me anything simply because he wants me to 'try'... Whatever that means proving my loyalty to Monokuma or to surprise this mastermind or whatever…_

"I-I know that." The animal whisperer awkwardly smiled. "Uh, I-I just wanted to try…"

"That was futile. You shouldn't even bother," Watari said, letting out a small sigh. "Poor you."

"Ah, alright…" Shinjimae was saddened, but immediately looked at the man and smiled. "U-uh, then t-to not make this trip futile…"

Watari raised a brow.

"D-do you want to hang out w-with me and Keishi?"

"What?" The detective was stunned. "Why even bring this up? If you want me to tell you something, then just say so."

"N-no, it's not that." Shinjimae awkwardly smiled. "M-Misaki told me about what h-happened between you and Blaise."

Watari frowned. "Don't listen to her. I'm not bothered by it at all, and you don't need to bother with the idea of 'comforting' me."

"N-no! I-I don't have a-any ill intentions, I-I assure you!" Shinjimae was waving his hands around rapidly, moving them about in place. "I-I just wanted to h-hang out with you. I-I just think you'll be l-lonely by yourself."

"I'm not." Watari deadpanned. "Does Keishi even want to be around me? Don't you think that he believes I'm the spawn of the devil or something? Monokuma's little sidekick?"

"O-of course not! K-Keishi's a really nice person!" Shinjimae blinked a couple of times, almost baffled by what the detective had said. "I-I know a lot of people d-don't like you, a-and I think we should get together!"

"I don't care if anyone likes me or wants to kill me," Watari said, blunt. "Being well-liked doesn't matter to me."

"B-but I'm sure you're lonely!" Shinjimae smiled sadly. His hands were brushing against Saki's fur. "I-I just don't like seeing you or a-anyone else alone…"

"... Shouldn't you say that to Yume or Kyatchi?"

"O-oh! M-Misaki told me that she wants to talk to them." Shinjimae's smile widened. "S-she's a bit weird, but s-she's very nice! H-Hitomu was keen on the idea o-of us hanging out w-with one another too!"

Watari frowned. "So, this was Hitomu's idea?"

"N-no! I-I brought it up!" The animal whisperer gulped. "I-I assure you that w-we just want to get along with you! P-promise!"

The detective was silent, simply observing the animal whisperer. Shinjimae was worried, sweating as he eyed him.

 _It could prove useful. Rather than being with Misaki and the others who wants me to help them investigate, Shinjimae and Keishi simply want to chat with me. Their motives may be the same, but it doesn't hurt to see what will happen as a base for my conclusion._

Sighing, Watari scratched his head with an answer, "I may go. What time and where?"

"R-really?!" Shinjimae's eyes widened. "O-oh, w-we'll meet after dinner at my room!"

"Your room?"

 _Hm… This may be worthwhile then._

Shinjimae smiled widely. "Mhm! I-I figured it's a g-good way for us to not be afraid of one another."

"I suppose so." Watari chuckled, now amused. "I may come. Thank you for the invitation, dear."

Shinjimae nodded rapidly. "O-of course! I-I'll see you at d-dinner then!"

Watari watched as Shinjimae left, walking with Saki away. The detective smirked as the duo left from his sight.

 _Alright. This may prove worthwhile. Wasting a few hours checking this out won't cost me much._

The detective chuckled at this, deciding he should go the cafeteria while time ticked by. He had nothing else to do but wait anyways, and he felt like he needed a mental rest at the moment. With that in mind, he made his way.

He opened the door, entering into the cafeteria silently. The moment he headed inside, however, he found himself in the presence of Tomoyo, the woman enjoying the luxury of the chocolate bar in her hands.

The raven was just about ready to take another bite from the chocolate goodness, lips curved happily in a silly smile, but her eyes betrayed her lust from the goodness and looked to Watari.

"O-oh!" Tomoyo quickly hid her smile, putting down her chocolate bar and coughing. "W-what're you doing here?"

Watari grinned. "What, am I not allowed to be here?" He then chuckled darkly, "Also, that was quite the cute scene with you and the chocolate bar. I assume you're a lover of sweets then, Moe."

Tomoyo eyed the detective, but shook her head. "I'm particularly fond of chocolate, though mainly dark chocolate. That's all. Not sweets in general."

"Aw, and here I was about to say that you're a lover of sweets because of how sweet you are." Watari playfully flocked to the woman, amused at her disgust. "Anyways, for an answer, I am only here to eat a snack and rest. Dinner will be coming soon anyways."

"True…" Tomoyo observed Watari cautiously, eyeing his every movement. "Decebel and Hitomu are inside the kitchen right now."

"That's nice to know." Watari rubbed his hands together. "Those two love working as our slaves. Isn't that sweet?"

Tomoyo frowned. "That's not funny."

"Was I laughing?" The detective raised a brow, then shaking his head before taking a seat next to the screenwriter. "How about we talk?"

"Talk?" Tomoyo clutched tightly into her chocolate bar, almost breaking it. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Oh, you know, how people always talk." The detective smugly smiled. "We talk about our hobbies and whatnot, sweetheart."

"Why though?" Tomoyo was more than suspicious. "I'm sure you'd rather have us talk about something else… Or you continuing to mess with me."

"Yes, and that's irritating you. I'm sorry." Watari chuckled. "I merely want to speak with you because you're always trying to talk to me. Why not I approach you instead?"

"That…" The woman held her breath. "That doesn't make sense."

"It is a two-for-one deal." Watari pointed his finger up. "I learn more about you, and you learn more about me. Isn't that a tantalizing deal? I know you want to learn more about me, especially because I'm a 'traitor'."

"Well…" Tomoyo cupped her chin, rubbing it. "I… I guess. We can talk then."

"Aw, see? Tantalizing." Watari snickered, then smirking at the woman. "Also, you should eat. Your chocolate bar's going to melt."

Tomoyo's eyes widened as she looked down at her lap, noticing the chocolate bar beginning to melt. It was slowly melting and trickling to her fingers. "R-right!"

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Tomoyo?**

 _ **That was the plan.**_ / No, let's not, actually.

* * *

 **Watari:** So, Moe, what do you like?

 **Tomoyo:** You're actually asking that?

 **Watari:** What, did you not expect me to ask that?

 **Tomoyo:** N-no, of course not. It's just… Fine. What I like, hm…

 **Tomoyo:** Well, it's nothing particularly special. Other than chocolate, I like to be outside and watch movies.

 **Watari:** Not surprising. You are a screenwriter, after all. You must've gone outside to watch the movies a lot with your friends, huh?

 **Tomoyo:** That's… well…

 **Watari:** Yes? Are you alright, sweetheart?

 **Tomoyo:** I suppose so. Anyways, I particularly love thriller and mystery movies.

 **Watari:** Ooh, interesting~ You should be a detective then. Maybe you can be my sidekick!

 **Tomoyo:** No, I don't think I'm smart enough to pursue being an actual detective, but I appreciate the thought… heh…

 **Watari:** Aw, are you turning red, Moe? Do you want me to compliment you more?

 **Tomoyo:** N-no, I'm not! Please don't think of it that way.

 **Watari:** Are you sure? You seem to like compliments being thrown at you.

 **Tomoyo:** I… I do admit that I love compliments, however only if they are genuine and not forced. Especially compliments that are meant for the sake of teasing me, Watari.

 **Watari:** Of course, I expected nothing less from you. I wouldn't want to hear anyone say that they like everything thrown at them. I hate spoiled people the most, after all.

 **Tomoyo:** 'The most'? May I ask why?

 **Watari:** It's nothing special. I just hate people who believe that everything will come their way as long as they beg for it. That's just not how our world works.

 **Watari:** … Anyways, how are you faring in this current situation?

 **Tomoyo:** Um, what exactly do you mean with that?

 **Watari:** Your work, of course. I'm sure everyone outside are not only bothered with our disappearances, but with the workload now thrown upon them… Your coworkers, for example.

 **Tomoyo:** Oh! Don't worry about that. I'm almost done with my next screenplay. All I need is to add the conclusion to it before I can submit it to my boss.

 **Watari:** Ah, I see. Is it another drama type, dear?

 **Tomoyo:** Oh, it is. Uh, you're interested in my works?

 **Watari:** Akin to my being as a detective, dramatic sort of medium always attracts me. Naturally I would be attracted to your work then.

 **Tomoyo:** I-I see! That's- uh, ahem, that's nice to know.

 **Watari:** Don't worry dear, you're not the Ultimate Screenwriter for nothing. Your works befit your title as the Ultimate Screenwriter.

 **Tomoyo:** So you like them… Thank you.

 **Watari:** _She's blushing. She really does seem to like being praised… well, at least, genuine and unforced types of praise._

* * *

 **Tomoyo Ikeda's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Tomoyo's likings include being praised, eating chocolate, watching movies, and going outside. She seems to avoid the topic of her being outside, or so Watari can imply so far. Other than that, she does like being praised, however only if it is genuine and not forced.

* * *

"Oh, Master Tomoyo and Master Watari."

Watari and Tomoyo were forced to stop, looking to find the Ultimate Butler walking their way. The butler was holding a stack of plates, then setting them down and slowly putting them to their respective places. He finished within a minute before turning to the duo who were watching him.

"Why are you two here early?" Blanchard asked, eyeing them with a calm expression. "We're sorry if we made you two wait."

"No, no, it's fine!" Tomoyo awkwardly scratched her head. A hesitant, worried look was on her face. "Uh… You're done cooking with Hitomu, I assume?"

"That's correct." Blanchard nodded his head. "Master Hitomu and I cooked ribeye steak and baked parmesan zucchini. I hope you two won't mind that."

Viorel quickly took over the body. "Hey, idiot, Master Shinjimae-"

"Ah, right." Blanchard forcibly switched the eyepatch. "Do not worry about Master Shinjimae. Master Hitomu informed us of him being a pescatarian, so we cooked teriyaki salmon for him." He then eyed the duo. "Would you two want salmon instead?"

"No, not at all. We're fine." Tomoyo smiled sweetly. "Besides, we can't complain about food since you and Hitomu always cook for us. If I had a problem with your cooking I would've cooked for myself."

"Ah, that's true." Blanchard smiled in return. "I will help Master Hitomu out, so please wait here."

"Mhm!"

The Ultimate Butler walked back into the kitchen, leaving Tomoyo and Watari alone once again.

"Hm…" Watari turned to the woman, grinning. He leaned over to murmur, "You're still suspicious around him, aren't you."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She turned to look back at the detective, then frowning. "Excuse me, but it can't be helped."

"I know, I know." The charcoal-haired man laughed. "Just wanted to point that out to you, in case you weren't aware of it yourself~"

Tomoyo sighed.

Minutes passed by, and soon everyone were present inside of the room. Hitomu and Blanchard had set up everything by the time everyone had arrived, so within seconds of the last person arriving had dinner started.

"I suppose no one has found anything yet," Hitomu began, minutes having passed by since everyone began eating. He was looking at the group, urging them to speak.

"I couldn't find anything." Misaki awkwardly smiled at the group. She stuffed a slice of zucchini into her mouth. "It's fine though! I'm sure no one will kill over a stupid motive anyways."

Akio eyed the surgeon for a moment, almost in a grimace, then speaking. "The motive is strange though. I have no idea how Monokuma pulled that off."

"Pfft, Monokuma obviously got replacements for the pets." Kyatchi grinned dryly at the actor, almost smugly. "Unless he's a 'genius' like I am with juggling, then it's impossible… just kidding, I'm not a genius. Disregard that."

"I think we all would've anyways," Ayako murmured underneath her breath. She sipped into her cup of water before turning to eye Hitomu and Shinjimae. "The pets there aren't replacements, right?"

"No, of course not." Hitomu laughed, bending down to pet Reiji and Kazue. "They're the same as always."

"M-mhm…" Shinjimae shyly agreed. "I-I would've been able to t-tell if Saki was Saki o-or not."

Keishi let out a small sigh. "I don't think Monokuma would want to be bothered getting replacements for the pets anyways."

"You think?" Viorel suddenly interjected, thinking about Keishi's words for a second. "I mean, I don't know, but Monokuma's crazy. I wouldn't say it's not impossible for him to do such a thing."

Masako smiled sheepishly as she grabbed a piece of her zucchini. "F-for now, I'm sure Saki and the cats are t-the real ones."

"Hopefully." Akio chuckled. "Anyways, if we haven't found anything, I think for now we have to just make sure that no one will kill."

"Yeah…" Yume pursed her lips. "But how?"

Watari grinned, rubbing his hands together. "Keeping tabs on one another 24/7 seems to be plausible, wouldn't you say? Restricting everyone of their freedom seems tantalizing."

"Watari, I'm sure that's not what Blaise wanted to say." Hitomu awkwardly smiled at the detective, then turning to Akio. "We could simply stay in groups throughout most of the day, correct?"

Akio's sour expression softened. "Yeah, I was thinking of something like that. Being in groups can help decrease someone's motivation to actually kill someone. It also gives people alibis and safety from any potential threat."

"I mean, I'm fine with anything," Kyatchi snorted, uncaring.

"I honestly don't care." Keishi sighed to himself. "As long as we don't kill, we should be fine."

"Yup!" Misaki chuckled. She threw her fists up to the sky. "I will kill someone if they kill someone!"

"That doesn't make sense," Yume deadpanned.

"Okay, then that's the plan." Hitomu quickly gulped down his food before speaking further. "We don't have to be around each other all the time, as long as we're with someone, then we should be fine. Hm, it might stall our investigation though…"

The actor shook his head. "We're all productive around the afternoon. I think we should be fine since I'm sure no one will try to kill someone when everyone's awake and productive."

"You think?" Hitomu raised a brow.

"As long as we're around each other, we should be fine." Akio shrugged. "I think that should work."

"Hm…" The cat keeper cupped his chin. After a moment of hesitation, he nodded his head. "Yes, I suppose that works. We'll do that then."

A plan having came into fruition, everyone finished their food. It didn't take long for everyone to finish, having set their dishes in the sink and leaving.

Shinjimae walked over to Watari once the detective finished setting his dishes down. Keishi was behind the man, Shinjimae taking the lead.

"A-are you going to come with us?"

Watari smirked at the animal whisperer, nodding his head. "Sure, let's go then. To your room."

Shinjimae smiled widely as he led Watari and Keishi down the hallways. They walked through the halls and into the dormitories, moving further until Shinjimae came to a stop. In front of him was his door, and he unlocked it, moving inside and gesturing the duo in.

The door closing behind them, Watari decided to take a look around the room.

The room was a friendly color of orange, vibrant and colorful. The walls were the color of orange, not too bright nor too dull. The ceiling was a pastel peach color, then a small chandelier hanging above. The bed in the middle of the room had yellow blankets which had paw prints and bone symbols embroidered in a pattern, then the pillows a fluffy white. To the sides of the room were the closet and cabinets, specifically on the right. The left side were where his desk was, flat with only a few dog treats kept in a bag.

 _Aw, how cute._

Watari snickered inwardly to himself. He headed over to take a seat, sitting down on the red beanie chair that was to the left corner from where the door stood.

"S-so, w-what do you want to talk about?" Shinjimae comfortably sat in his bed, Keishi moving over to sit at the side. The animal whisperer looked excited, happy to be around people as he petted Saki's head. "I-if only there was a television… W-we could've watched a movie!"

"Ah, what a shame." Keishi agreed with a small nod. "Maybe when we get out of here."

"M-maybe!" Shinjimae chuckled, then eyeing Watari. "S-so, how are you?"

Watari grinned. The man's attempt to make conversation was amusing, but nonetheless touching. He couldn't help but answer him in a singsong voice, "I'm fine, dearie~ How about you two?"

"O-oh, h-how kind of you to ask." Shinjimae smiled sweetly. "I-I'm fine."

"Same," Keishi responded. "Thank you for asking."

Watari chuckled. "You two aren't bothered by the motive? Everyone seems to be covered in sweat. They even have eye bags under their eyes."

"O-oh!" Shinjimae quickly rubbed his eyes. It was obvious the man had eye bags under his own eyes. "W-well… O-of course I'd be bothered, s-since I don't want a-another murder to happen…"

"I'm sure we won't have another murder." Keishi worriedly eyed the animal whisperer. "I hope not."

"T-the others hope not as well, s-so I doubt another would happen." Shinjimae forced himself to smile, finding Saki nuzzling against his leg.

Watari frowned. "Shinji, do you usually invite people to your room?"

"H-huh? Oh, i-it's been only you guys a-and Hitomu so far… Why?"

"That's quite worrying." The detective crossed his arms. "Aren't you afraid that one of us might kill you?"

"N-no, of course not…" The animal whisperer awkwardly laughed. Sweat was trickling down his forehead. "D-don't say that, p-please."

"Of course, of course." Watari playfully threw Shinjimae a smile, moving over to ruffle his hair. "I just like teasing you~"

"R-really now?" Shinjimae awkwardly laughed, then shaking his head. "Erm, o-other than me t-though, you should w-worry about yourself."

"Yeah." Keishi eyed Watari, expression stern. "You should worry about yourself more."

"Aw, you jealous or something?" Watari teasingly smirked at the survivor, causing Keishi to blush slightly. Having hit the nail on its head, the detective released his hand on Shinjimae. "Don't worry. I'm fine. I haven't died yet, see?"

"S-still…" Shinjimae clutched his hands together. "P-people might t-try to attack you b-because you keep aligning yourself w-with Monokuma."

"I'm surprised you aren't bothered by it."

"W-well… I can't lie and say I-I'm not completely unbothered by it…" The man averted his gaze. "I-I still think you're a good p-person though!"

"That's quite kind of you." Watari rested his head on his palms. "Are you sure you're not trying to keep my guard down and wait for the right opportunity to strike?"

"If he did that, I wouldn't be here," Keishi said, straightforward.

"Hm, you think?" The detective let out a sigh, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe you can be his accomplice?"

Keishi shook his head. "No, the thought of murder isn't appealing to me…"

"Don't worry. I already know you two won't harm me anyways." Watari raised his hands up, mocking surrender. "I wouldn't be here if I knew you two would harm me, after all."

"O-of course!" Shinjimae nodded his head excitably. "W-we just want to b-be friends with you."

"I suppose so."

 _Friends, huh? That sounds impossible._

Watari decided to stay inside the room until Monokuma called the nighttime announcement, deciding to listen to Shinjimae and Keishi's conversations. He enjoyed teasing the duo, then able to conclude that the duo are very close to one another. If anything, it seemed like Keishi enjoyed being around the animal whisperer's presence, and vice versa. Shinjimae simply was overjoyed that he was around people.

What the trio talked about were not of any importance. Shinjimae mainly talked to the duo about his talent as an animal whisperer, showing Watari and Keishi on how he can communicate with Saki. Keishi was hesitant on talking about his talent, and so Shinjimae was fine with that. Watari didn't speak much about his work as a detective other than the obvious, and so the attention was mainly thrown onto the animal whisperer and his work.

Nonetheless, it was quite the pleasant experience for Watari. A very interesting experience where he learned more about Keishi and Shinjimae- their relationships, Shinjimae's talent, etc.

He also was able to learn that the rooms each Ultimate slept in were different. He implied that theory, but having only entered his own room before and inattentive to those he had been to, being in someone else's room and actually caring about the setup… He now knew that each room was unique to the Ultimates.

Which led the detective to this- the rooms have been intentionally crafted to fit the Ultimates' style and talent. This had been planned for a long time, and for Tsubaki's school (or Watari still supposed was her school) to change the dormitories differently…

The school must've been closed for a while, abandoned. It can take a long time for rooms to be changed. Each room could take hours, or even days. Well, that and especially for the mechanics Monokuma placed throughout the school- the trial room, for example. For him to change the gymnasium into a courtroom was no easy feat- that could've taken years.

This school must've been abandoned, and Watari was sure of that.

But if not, then what was the answer?

If so, then the answer was unclear.

* * *

And that was the next part to Chapter 2! Hopefully it was enjoyable of a read to you all! Anyways, I don't have much to say this time other than to check out Lupus Overkill's story **Danganronpa: Back and Forth** and TheRoseShadow21's **And So It Begins**! They're both SYOC stories, so please do submit to them if you have the time to!

Other than that, I am done! I'll see you all in the next chapter~


	15. Chapter 2 - Part 1, Part D

Hello, and Happy Halloween! My goal was to throw out this chapter at Halloween, and that dream/goal came true! Now praise me, mwahaha! Just kidding, anyways, hope you all enjoy this!

 **liammarklh88:** "Christmas would be the perfect time for all stories to update! Haha, well, glad you still like his portrayal, haha... As quite the cynical and pessimistic person myself, I have to agree with you on that. I know some of the people in this cast won't though, haha. Tomoyo will stay as best girl at the moment, though I wonder if that will change. Yume will always be an enigma, at least right now. Save Akio please. Tomoyo's adorable, haha. Yes, death will come soon! Let us dread the time someone dies..."

 **Guest (Meta King):** "Haha, always shitposts galore."

 **ToonGuy:** "Monokuma will never be okay. Is he more sane than Disparity Monokuma though, hm~? I want you to come into this story just to punch Watari, haha. Masako's a great character, I'm loving her~ Yes, we can count on Akio for that at least! These girls are the best! Ack, I wonder who will bite the dust first, hm? Yume is an enigma! Shinjimae and Keishi are really nice characters~ Tomoyo will always be praised, and haha Watari has friends, what is this? Don't worry, someone will die... Soon."

 **Meta King:** "I could tell it was you from just seeing 'shitposts galore' haha XD Haha, Yume is quite hard for me to grasp, but nonetheless I'm having fun with her character so far! Yes, one must wonder, hm. Gosh, you should take on Monokuma's role of giving people nicknames then XD Hm, I do wonder if that's true or not?"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Aw, of course! I will always promote my dear friends and fellow writers after all! Mhm, I'm glad you enjoyed the FTEs from the previous chapter! Growing on characters aren't a good thing, Rosycheeks. Why torture yourself?! And thanks! Same to you though! Keep up the good work!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Aww, I'm glad you enjoyed the previous chapter! It always makes me happy to see a review coming from you! The dreams will always be something that will feature throughout this story, so you have plenty of time to look over them and theorize! Overthinking is a good thing though~ Yes, there will always be someone who will talk in the group chat, no matter what happens. Definitely. Hopefully I'll be able to write a dynamic within each (or most, because I suck) character to another that is satisfying to the audience! Akio and Watari's conversation is definitely of importance, whether now or in the future, who knows? Watari is still unwilling to trust people as usual, that jerk. Yes, glad you liked the FTEs! Haha, continue to ponder! Thank you~"

 **Guest:** "Whyyyyy"

* * *

Like always, another dream. Another dream which no one would be able to decipher, or will, but barely.

"What's the most gruesome thing you've ever seen?"

A strange and quite frightening question. It was as if that monster was mocking the very definition of grotesque.

"Are you a sheltered brat who cannot even think to harm a fly? Humans are so hypocritical that their very definition of grotesque is skewed. It's been ruined."

Nothing. There was no response. The monster continued to speak, clawing in at the insecurities hidden inside of the heart.

"Humans kill everyday and in many cruel ways, yet they always scream that, 'Hey! It's a sin to kill!'. Isn't that just fucking stupid? How hypocritical can they get?"

A small, straightforward response. That response seemed genuine and acknowledging, for the monster (whom the responder refused to associate as remotely a thing) smirked.

"Kids kill all the time. They're brats who burn ants. They always stomp and toy with little critters because it's fun. They uncoil the worms and throw rocks at the birds. Aren't they killers? They kill in so many gruesome ways."

Another response. It was a response that slightly changed the monster's expression.

"Yeah, so? I'm talking about humans. For animals, it is merely a need. Besides, what other entertainment to the critters have other than to toy with each other and have fun hunting the hunters?"

The responder frowned, throwing the monster a response. Or merely, a question.

"... Of course I hate humans. Or maybe I don't- who knows? I'm here to talk to you. We're here to talk and have fun, that's all."

A disgusted response. It was unsure whether that response meant something, or was merely a jest.

—

"Brats, it's time to wake up and get moving! Move before I start singing the goddamn alphabet!"

Watari yawned, stretching his arms out. He rubbed his eyes with a small groan, feeling a bit tired. Maybe, he would figure, that he slept in the wrong position or woke up during a deep state of sleep. Impossible, but certainly a possibility.

 _Hm… Alright, first things first…_

Watari grabbed the MonoPad from the desk, booting it on without a second to waste. Patiently waiting till he arrived at the menu screen, he pressed onto the chatroom application which- as expected- were filled with notifications.

First, as always, he went to the group chat. There was nothing of interest in the chat- filled with worry and anxiety, that was all. It wasn't anything new, and so Watari continued on.

His curiosity was more focused on the message Shinjimae had sent him, after all.

 _Hm… Let's see._

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Shinjimae)**

 **Shinjimae: Um, hey Watari! (07:00 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I was wondering if we could, uh, hang out? (07:00 AM)]**

Watari let out a small sigh. He wasn't sure why Shinjimae was so devoted to speaking to him. Nonetheless, he answered.

 **[Watari: Depends. What are you planning? (07:01 AM)]**

The response was immediate.

 **[Shinjimae: Watari! You replied! (07:01 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Uh, I just want to talk to you! Keishi's also eager to see you too. (07:01 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: U-uh, if that's fine with you. (07:02 AM)]**

The detective chuckled, tapping into the keyboard.

 **[Watari: Aren't you a cute one? (07:02 AM)**

 **Watari: Why, sure. What's the plan, dear? (07:02 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Uh, it's after dinner. Uhh, Keishi and I wanted to talk to you again. W-we want to know more about you, if that's okay. (07:03 AM)]**

Watari inwardly smirked. He knew they wanted to gain information out of him. It was quite the obvious conclusion.

 **[Watari: Sure, I don't mind. I'm sure I don't have much else to do around that time. (07:04 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: T-then we'll talk later! (07:04 AM)**

 **Watari: Yes, yes, now don't me too excited dear. (07:04 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I'll see you later! (07:05 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari closed the MonoPad, nothing else being shown or of great importance. It was interesting that Shinjimae and Keishi were interested in him- to befriend him. It was strange to think that someone, nevertheless some people, wanted to 'befriend' him-

-because that obviously wasn't true at all. They wanted to take advantage of him.

The detective bounced off of his bed, changing into his attire. He walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth before hearing a knock on the door.

Watari walked over and opened the door, throwing a smirk in the process. "You never fail to welcome me in the morning, Moe."

Tomoyo eyed him for a moment, then clearing her throat. "I suppose so. Good morning, Watari."

"How polite of you." The detective snickered. "Anyways, dear, I'm surprised you're this eager to be with me. I almost want to fall for you."

Tomoyo grimaced, but quickly hid it and nodded. "Let's go. I don't want to keep the others waiting."

Watari winked. "Right at you."

The duo walked over to the cafeteria, then finding Hitomu who, as always, was standing in front of the entrance.

"Hello!" Hitomu greeted, friendly as always. He was running his fingers down his cats' fur in the meantime. He hugged them, putting them up as he met the duo's gaze. "Did you have a well-rested sleep?"

"Better than yesterday," Tomoyo answered, smiling. Her expression softened once Hitomu nodded back in acknowledgment.

"That's good to know." The cat keeper turned to Watari. "How about you? Are you well-rested?"

Watari chuckled. "You could say that. How about you though?"

"Oh!" The man's smile widened. "Thank you for asking. I'm fine. I'm still a bit worried over everyone though."

Tomoyo frowned. "Ah, uh, because of the motive?"

"Mhm." Hitomu sighed, allowing Reiji to jump off from his shoulder. He then saw Kazue chase after the cat. "They're all good people. I really can't believe that this is happening."

"Understandable." Tomoyo crossed her arms. Her expression hardened. "I hope everyone will reunite and fight against Monokuma together. They're so distrusting…"

"It's a shame, but I'm sure we'll be able to do it!" Hitomu clapped his hands together. "I've had to help many people, so I'm sure this will not be too big of a challenge for me!"

Tomoyo's lips curved. Her smile brightened instantly. "I believe in you! Do you need help?"

The cat keeper chuckled. "I'm sure you'll be of great assistance. I have no doubt the others want us to reunite as well."

Watari observed the duo in silence.

 _Hm, I see a few people are still willing to cooperate with everyone as a group. How interesting._

The detective chuckled at this. He watched as the duo headed inside, the man himself moving inside. As expected, everyone was present, food having been cooked and everyone tending to their own doing.

Shinjimae was the first to notice Watari from the table, his lips curving to a friendly smile as he motioned the detective over. Watari smiled back at the man, intrigued by the invitation as he took a seat down next to the animal whisperer, Keishi close by who nodded his head at him.

"H-hello!" Shinjimae began, greeting Watari. An excited expression was overwhelming the man's face. "I-I'm glad you're here with us."

"Aren't you a cute one," Watari replied, chuckling with ease. He grinned as he eyed the animal whisperer and his friend. "You two seem adamant on befriending me."

Keishi awkwardly scratched his head. "I'm fine with you… You don't seem that bad of a person."

"Aw, thank you, whether that was genuine or not!" Watari snickered, grabbing his plate. He grabbed ahold of his food in the meantime. "You two are quite the friendly ones."

"N-not really." Shinjimae blushed, almost wanting to hide behind Saki who was closeby. "W-we just wanted t-to know you better."

Keishi smiled softly at the animal whisperer, cheeks a bit pink. "Shinji's working to befriend everyone. I really respect that."

"Y-you really shouldn't." The man blushed, hiding his face. He quickly sipped into his cup of earl grey tea, then hissing at the sudden hotness in his tongue. "Ow…"

Watari couldn't help but flinch. He felt Shinjimae's pain. "Aish, careful."

"It is true though," the survivor began, mumbling. He was cupping his hands and continued with a shy tone of voice, "You befriended me… You said you wanted to befriend the others too."

"Y-yeah, but that's a given." Shinjimae awkwardly smiled, almost goofy at that point. Saki was cuddling against his leg. "H-Hitomu and Misaki and the others a-are trying to befriend others too."

Keishi nodded, face red. "Still… I admire you for that."

 _Well, if it wasn't him, then it would be Hitomu who'd 'befriend' me. Tomoyo's group as well._

 _Everyone's trying to get information out of me by using this as a motive. Typical._

Watari plopped a grape into his mouth. "I think Hitomu gave you too much of an influence. He's quite the positive one."

"W-well, he is, but…" Shinjimae laughed nervously. "I-it's not like I'm copying him…"

"Unintentionally you are, though that's fine!" The detective smiled widely. "Everyone has the idea of 'befriending' others. They need support after all."

"Ah." Shinjimae blinked. "R-right! Mhm, w-we all just want to b-be friends with one another."

Keishi nodded his head quietly. "I guess…"

"Hitomu~!"

Misaki suddenly lunged at the cat keeper, grinning as she embraced him with ease. She eyed the man whose face brightened out of embarrassment, and she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Let me diagnose you!" She began, exclaiming with a perky tone. "You always seem to smile no matter the circumstance! It's really intriguing. It makes me wonder if your cheek muscles are paralyzed or something!"

"Not at all, Misaki," the cat keeper said, chuckling as Misaki dropped her grip around him. "Besides, I would rather be smiling all the time than to frown and make others worry."

Kyatchi snorted, rolling his eyes. "Wow, you wound me, Romeo."

"Geez Misaki, don't just jump at him like that," Tomoyo said, whispering to the surgeon who awkwardly scratched her head. The screenwriter pursed her lips, sighing as she quickly turned to Hitomu and bowed her head. "Sorry about that."

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing to him. It's not your fault," Akio suddenly said. He had spoken right out of the blue.

Watari observed the duo's expressions closely, finding himself intrigued by the results that came immediately.

Akio was smiling at the woman. His smile didn't seem forced, though honestly Watari wouldn't have been able to tell- Akio was an actor, after all. Still, it looked quite genuine and relaxed. It was as if he wasn't awkward around the woman at all.

Tomoyo's expression was quite similar. Her posture loosened once she heard Akio- she even made a small smile. It was quite relaxed as well, though albeit slightly uncomfortable. That was to be expected though as she had slapped him once, but nonetheless a smile was a smile.

 _It seems like the duo talked to each other yesterday. They don't seem uncomfortable compared to the last few times I've seen them meet. I'm assuming Akio apologized to her._

Still, Watari noticed the subtle look Tomoyo and Akio both threw at him. It was a look that was both uneasy and uncomfortable. A look that meant that the duo shared something of conflict, but their shared conflict were of opinions that were still clashing with each other.

 _Interesting._

"Aren't you sweet?" Misaki snorted, but turned to Hitomu. "Sorry for jumping at you. Oops!"

"I'm not bothered by it. I rather enjoy your radiance," Hitomu replied, amused. The cats around him seemed more than happy at his amusement, purring. "Ah, also, how is everybody's progress so far?"

"I haven't found much, unfortunately," Akio said, sighing. "It's hard to find anything of use."

Yume shrugged. "I haven't found anything either."

Blanchard shook his head. "Sadly, neither have I or Viorel as well."

Masako gulped. "I-I haven't either."

Ayako frowned, eyeing Hitomu. "There must be something out there though! Right?"

Blanchard sighed. "There should be, but Monokuma is hiding our information."

"Maybe he is," Yume began, "but… at times we're just inept and stupid."

"Don't put yourself down like that!" Misaki cried, awkwardly laughing. Her smile was forced. "I'm sure we'll all find something sooner or later."

"Yeah, let's be positive." Hitomu smiled softly at the nihilist who eyed him curiously. "If we work together, then we'll find something of use sooner or later. We're just unwilling to cooperate with one another. If we can change that, we'll be able to work much more efficiently."

"So, independent work does nothing." Kyatchi smirked. A snort escaped his lips as he eyed the group. "Is that what you're saying?"

"N-no, nothing of the like!" Hitomu's eyes widened. "It's easier for us to work all together. That is what I meant. Independent work is an option, but it is much better for us to work as a group, wouldn't you agree?"

"I-I understand that," Masako began, setting forth a formal and polite tone of voice, "H-however, some people d-do work better alone. S-some people don't participate in group work as equally or a-as efficiently as o-others do."

The juggler raised a brow. "Are you relating this back to your schoolwork or something?"

Masako frowned. "I-it does relate to the real world nonetheless."

"School can be related to the workforce," Ayako said, defending the survivalist with a pout. "It's hard!"

Kyatchi was not impressed. "Mhm, sure."

"That's a good point, but nonetheless group work can end up being much more efficient and better than independent work." Hitomu smiled softly. "It is better to have more than one mind, right?"

"That does make sense," Blanchard answered, indifferent in his tone. "I am willing to work with whoever requests me to."

Kyatchi snorted. "Pfft. You're such a slave."

Ayako threw the juggler a disapproving look. "Kyatchi!"

"What? But it's true." Kyatchi continued to indulge himself in his amusement, chuckling without a care in the world.

"Anyways, I believe that we should all work together. It will do us well in the future." Hitomu looked around the area, scanning the group. "I know some of us investigated in our lonesome and that does not help you at all. We should all investigate together and come up with ideas as a group. Most of us haven't mentioned anything either."

"But we already searched the entire place!" Misaki raised a brow. "Do you want us to do another walkthrough around the school again?"

The cat keeper shook his head. "If you can, please do so. It is also worth noting that we should know ourselves as well. We need to know more about one another in order for us to trust each other."

"Wait." Viorel suddenly jumped into the fray. "Excuse me if I'm wrong on my assumption, but I'm assuming this sudden topic was to unite us all together under the idea of a simple 'hangout' session?"

"Ah, not just that, but the idea to investigate the school is still well-liked in my head." Hitomu awkwardly chuckled, petting his cats idly in the meantime. "And, yes, I want to propose a time for us all to relax and speak to one another without any interruptions soon."

"Ahem." Watari raised a hand. His lips curved to a mischievous smile as he eyed Hitomu. "Exactly what is your point in having us speak to one another like simple teenagers? I thought you vouched for us all working efficiently in stopping Monokuma and gaining information, dearie."

"In order for us to be able to effectively work as a team, we must know one another and respect one another." The cat keeper's smile never faltered. His answer was immediate. "Getting to know one another and being able to learn more from one another will help our performance in the future."

Akio snickered. He couldn't help but be amused, nudging Hitomu from where he sat. "What are you, a preschool teacher?"

"Don't tease me, please," the cat keeper replied, blushing slightly. "Well, I do have to take care of my siblings, so that must be where you got that idea from."

"Do we all have to be there at the discussion?" Yume asked, staring intensely at Hitomu. "I rather not converse with people."

"Ah, but of course we must all be there when it is planned!" The cat keeper exclaimed with such a loud voice that it almost made Yume flinch. "I really want us to know each other better. This will definitely help us cooperate more with one another and help us step forward towards our goal to escape this killing game."

"I-I like the idea!" Shinjimae immediately jumped to Hitomu's side. The animal whisperer was genuinely happy with this idea, bouncing in his seat. "Ah, ahem, e-excuse my sudden e-exclaim. A-although, I really d-do like the idea. I-I want to know everyone b-better."

"I'm always up for that." Misaki's grin was wide, eyes sparkling in excitement. "This might cause an epiphany for how to dissect Monokuma in me!"

Tomoyo awkwardly laughed at Misaki's latter statement, sighing. "I do side with Hitomu on this. I would like to get to know everyone better."

Ayako seemed hesitant at first, however noticing the excitement in everyone's faces she clapped her hands together. "Alright then! I guess I'll join too!"

"If everyone is joining, then I and Viorel will be present there as well," Blanchard said, nodding his head.

"When will this be?" Keishi asked, eyeing Hitomu. "Are we doing it tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow should be fine," the cat keeper said, smiling widely. "I'm sure we all have plans today, so tomorrow around the afternoon should be fine. We should talk in auditorium. We could line the chairs up and give us space for comfort too."

"Sounds like a good idea!" Misaki cried. "I like it!"

"We can do this then." Tomoyo seemed content with the idea, her smile aimed at Masako and Misaki who both smiled back at her. The screenwriter, joyful, went back to happily eating into her chocolate pancakes.

"I-isn't this great, Watari?"

Watari turned to find Shinjimae eyeing him, eyes almost glittering in a childish excitement. He could even see Saki doing the same thing. The detective snickered. "No one seemed to be too vocal against the idea."

Keishi hummed. "Yume and Kyatchi didn't really argue with the idea."

Watari smirked, sipping into his glass of water. "Surprisingly. Maybe the duo are too sleepy right now. Tis the morning after all."

The detective observed Hitomu. The cat keeper was busy partaking in his enjoyment, talking to Akio and the others who were more than willing to converse with him. Watari then observed Ayako who still looked uneasy with this idea, then to Blanchard who seemed to be arguing with Viorel (again). His attention finally shifted to people like Yume and Kyatchi, and, surprisingly, the duo didn't speak against Hitomu's idea.

Well, nonetheless, the man was much more focused on finishing his food. He was able to finish his food within a few minutes, and soon he left after placing his dishes down in the sink. He noticed that everyone seemed to have finished their food as well, and they have begun to leave.

The detective, however, mainly noticed that someone was waiting for him. A bit curious, the raven quickly made his way over to the person.

"Watari!" Misaki threw an arm around the man, grinning happily at him. "I wanna talk to you."

"Really?" The man raised a brow. "Why?"

The surgeon giggled, motioning Watari to walk with her. She smiled as the man complied, answering in the meantime, "It's because I want to know you better! I liked what Hitomu had to say, and maybe a bit too much so I can't help but want to get a head start!"

"I suppose so?" Watari was unsure at this point, only noting the erratic behavior Misaki usually had. "But I don't see why-"

"Don't be like that." Misaki squeezed her grip around the man, forcing him to be silent. "You're not really the social 'I want to be friends' type, so obviously I'd be interested in knowing you better!"

"That's…" Watari sighed. "Alright then. Whatever you desire, dear."

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Misaki?**

 _ **Yes, please do so.**_ / Actually, never mind.

* * *

 **Watari:** What exactly do you want?

 **Misaki:** Hm… To get a bit of your DNA!

 **Watari:** _I'm somehow not surprised._

 **Watari:** I doubt that's possible at the moment, dear. If you really want to get people's DNA, then why don't you start with Decebel's?

 **Misaki:** Too late! I'm around you right now.

 **Watari:** Uhuh. Why are you so keen on getting our DNA anyways, dear? Is it to analyze our genetic code?

 **Misaki:** Oh, that? Hmm, I guess you can say that? I'm not a surgeon for a reason. If I didn't hate my job, I wouldn't continue to pursue it!

 **Watari:** Yes, I understand that, but that doesn't mean you have to-

 **Misaki:** Enough about that though! DNA doesn't only mean what's inside of you! It can just be a strand of hair or even your saliva.

 **Watari:** … You really want to analyze us, huh?

 **Misaki:** It's a good way for me to understand you all better, Watari- Oh, should I give you a nickname? What would you like?

 **Watari:** I came to the conclusion that you are quite the sociable and talkative one.

 **Misaki:** How about Wata? No, maybe Ari?

 **Watari:** … I think Watari's fine, dear.

 **Misaki:** Ah, I'll come up with one later. Anyways, if you ever change your mind, please come approach me when you want me to get your DNA!

 **Watari:** _How did I end up in this situation?_

 **Misaki:** Oh, and if you ever die in the future, would you allow me to dissect your body later?

 **Watari:** _Dissecting…_

 **Watari:** … Yes, I won't question that.

 **Misaki:** Huh?

 **Watari:** Ah, no, nothing. Do not mind me, dear.

 **Misaki:** Hm… That sounds suspicious!

 **Misaki:** Oh well! It's fine. I decided to call you Ari anyways, so I'm happy.

 **Watari:** Yes, yes- Wait, Ari?

 **Misaki:** Mhm! Anyways, Ari, what do you think about the suggestion? Do you want to lend your body to me when you die?

 **Watari:** Er, that's…

 **Watari:** _Actually, no, I won't contemplate and answer that._

 **Misaki:** Hello? Ari? Ari~?

* * *

 **Misaki Ueda's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Misaki is really adamant on getting people's DNA and dissecting their bodies. She's also quite talkative as well, though so far it's centered mainly on what was said earlier. She also gave Watari the nickname of 'Ari' for some reason.

* * *

Watari sighed, shaking his head. The woman was now poking him repeatedly. "Dear, don't you think it's quite eerie when someone asks you to lend them their body when they die?"

"Hm?" Misaki frowned. "Are you implying necrophilia-"

"Whoopsie-daisy."

Watari blinked, suddenly feeling himself flying in thin air. He looked around to find himself being carried with ease, then eyeing the source of this sudden situation.

"What?" It was Viorel, clearly obvious from his tone of voice. He was carrying Watari with apparent ease, the detective over his shoulder. "Oh, you're surprisingly light."

"Okay, but scratch that thought out, dear." Watari was unable to move much, the butler's grip on him strong and formidable. "Why are you carrying me?"

Viorel chuckled, almost teasing the man. "You won't die, I assure you."

The detective frowned. He looked back to Misaki, the surgeon clearly and understandably confused. He watched as the surgeon slowly moved out, Watari sighing as he allowed Viorel to carry him to wherever that destination may be.

A few minutes passed before Watari found himself being brought down to his feet, the butler almost treating like a child as he gently backed off from the raven. Watari rolled his eyes as he looked ahead, finding himself now faced with the juggler. He also noted that they were inside the infirmary.

"Hey there~" Kyatchi greeted in a singsong voice. He was grinning amusingly at the detective. "How was the trip?"

Watari eyed the man for a moment, then throwing him a smirk. "How sweet of you, dear. So, what do you want?"

"Ah, that." The juggler turned to Viorel. "Thanks for showing me how much of a slave you are."

Viorel chuckled grimly, then suddenly glaring at the man. "You're lucky that Blanchard's this nice."

The butler now left the room.

"Heh, weak." Kyatchi's chuckle was sarcastic and dry. He slowly turned his focus back to the detective. "Sorry, you were part of the experiment."

Watari frowned. "For what? To test out how loyal Decebel is to you?"

"What, are you annoyed?" Kyatchi grinned. "I didn't expect this little ploy to annoy you this much."

"I find it extremely obvious, dear, that Decebel would've done something of this extent. He attempted murder, didn't you remember?" The detective crossed his arms. "Why wouldn't he have done this?"

"Because he hates me?" The juggler sighed. "It's obvious that Viorel loathes my entire being. I always insult him and Blanchard, after all."

"Because you always called them a 'slave' or mock them." Watari sighed, slowly losing his composure. "And why, dear, did you decide to choose me? I was talking with someone."

"You, being social? That's new." The juggler tugged at his bandannas. "You just dislike it whenever your plans are ruined."

"Mhm." The detective sighed, deciding to backtrack. "So, dear, why exactly was I on the victim list?"

Kyatchi raised a brow. "For no apparent reason. I figured I'd choose you since people like Ayako and Blaise would've crucified me for even trying to use Decebel."

"Quite the logical decision then." Watari shrugged. "Still, it was obvious that Decebel would've chose to listen to your request."

Kyatchi hummed. "Was it now?"

The detective grinned dryly. "It was, but I'm going to assume that you only did this to mock him."

"What?" The juggler feigned hurt, shaking his head. "Of course not. I'm not a cruel person, Watari."

"Aw, is that so?" Watari couldn't help but chuckle. "I wonder why you mocked Viorel then. It couldn't be that you had the freedom to do this because Blanchard can't refuse a request and Viorel doesn't want to disappointment him?"

The juggler sighed. "Wow, you flatter them too much. I'm not a villain."

"Oh, then what about this." Watari walked closer to the man, pointing a finger his way. "You only used Decebel as an excuse to get to me."

Kyatchi snorted. "I'm not infatuated with you."

"I know! I was joking!" Watari clapped his hands together, snickering.

Kyatchi rolled his eyes, observing the detective in silence. "I suppose that's fine then."

"Mhm." The detective winked. "So, you don't desire anything else out from me, correct?"

The juggler shook his head.

"Right, then I'll take my leave now~ Goodbye!"

The detective quickly left the scene, closing the door behind him. He couldn't care less if Kyatchi was still inside- all he wanted to do was leave and stay in his desired state of relaxation. His state of tranquility and peace.

 _That was a waste of time. Truly disgusting._

The detective decided to make his way over to his room. He was about ready to relax when he made his way, however he stopped as he noticed someone heading his path.

"Masako." The detective frowned. He watched as the survivalist's eyes widened, attention turned to him.

"H-hello, Watari." The woman bowed her head down. She was certainly speaking in a polite tone of voice. "I-I'm sorry, was I blocking your path?"

Watari shook his head. "No… Where are you going though?"

Masako awkwardly smiled, crossing her arms. "W-well, I was planning to investigate the area. I-I wanted to help Hitomu and the others."

"How sweet of you." The raven grinned wryly. "Good luck with that then."

"Ah, y-yes…" Masako hesitated, staring at the man. "Uh…"

"Hm?" Watari raised a brow. "What is the matter?"

Masako cupped her hands together. "W-well, I was wondering what Hitomu said earlier… D-do you want to talk for a while?"

"What? Even you?" Watari's tone sounded more accusatory than expected. He quickly shifted into a questionable tone once he noticed the woman flinching. "Ahem. Why me though? Are you planning something with Misaki and Tomoyo?"

"E-excuse me, but what gave you that idea?" The woman shook her head. "I-I was asking because I don't really know you, so…"

"Ah." The man deadpanned. "I see."

 _Hm…_

Watari observed the woman closely. He instantly took notice of her anxiousness, eyes darting back and forth while her lips were pursed. The woman was jumpy in her movements, almost paling just from having spoke to the man.

 _Well…_

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Masako?**

 _ **Just do it, it might serve you well.**_ / No, don't!

* * *

Watari sighed. He motioned Masako into his room. "Sure, we can talk then."

Masako's lips curved to a small, shy smile.

The duo made their way into the detective's room, and the conversation had begun.

 **Watari:** So, what do you want to know?

 **Masako:** Ah! U-uh, that's… I'm not sure exactly, sorry.

 **Watari:** _I'm not surprised by that. Hm… Well… I think I should be able to gain more information about her talent._

 **Watari:** Then what about this, dearie? Do you mind if I ask you about yourself?

 **Masako:** M-myself? Sure, although I wanted to ask you about yourself…

 **Watari:** Next time, dearie.

 **Masako:** Y-yes, of course.

 **Masako:** So, uh, what did you want to ask me?

 **Watari:** Well, dear, why don't you tell me a bit about your upbringing?

 **Masako:** Upbringing?

 **Masako:** A-ah, of course, I do not mind. Uh… W-well, for starters, I figure you would want to know about how I became a survivalist, c-correct?

 **Watari:** Mhm, if possible.

 **Masako:** Ah, w-well, it was around when I was… five years old? Y-yes, that's right. I-I was taken over to a place called 'The Shinohara Complex'.

 **Watari:** I'm assuming that's a family-owned complex then, given the name.

 **Masako:** Y-yes, that's correct. I-I was taken to that complex in order to be taught on how to survive, particularly in the wilderness. Y-you can say that it was to help p-prepare me and the other kids there for warfare.

 **Watari:** Really now? Well, that would make sense. Your family were very much involved in warfare.

 **Masako:** Y-yes, and they wanted me to take on such a role as way, whether that is by taking up a military job or something similar.

 **Watari:** Very interesting indeed. So you were brought up to become used to warfare, to survive.

 **Masako:** Y-you could say that… Hearing that is uncomfortable though… Sorry.

 **Watari:** _Well, clearly with how she's acting now, that idea to get her prepared for warfare or danger isn't apparent at all. Most likely, this only traumatized her._

 **Watari:** _Humans really are quite stupid._

 **Watari:** Well! I guess that's good enough for me to hear. You seem quite uncomfortable with this topic. We can talk more about this another time, Masa.

 **Masako:** M-Masa? A-ah, yes, of course. I should investigate the school now, shouldn't I?

 **Watari:** That's correct.

 **Masako:** A-alright, I'll see you later then. Thank you for talking to me.

 **Watari:** Mhm…

* * *

 **Masako Shinohara's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Masako's family was centered around the business of warfare. Being brought up by people whom Watari assumed were strict and highly stern in their work, Masako, at the young age of five, was brought to 'The Shinohara Complex' where she was taught to survive in the wilderness alongside other young kids.

* * *

Having met Masako and the others earlier ago, Watari decided to take a short rest inside of his room. He long desired for tranquility, and so he wasted no time to walk into his room and lock the door behind him. He threw himself happily on the bed, and rested his eyes.

Watari woke up a few hours later. He groggily scratched his head and opened his MonoPad. It was around dinnertime. Sighing, the man quickly jumped off of bed and walked towards the cafeteria.

Hitomu, as always (and somewhat surprisingly to Watari), was waiting at the door.

"Oh!" The cat keeper's eyes brightened. He moved forth to the detective, Kazue and Reiji purring. "I was worried you would skip out dinner!"

"I just took a long nap." Watari smiled dryly. "Don't be so worried about me, dearie. You'll end up making Shinji and the others jealous."

Hitomu laughed heartily. "I doubt that would happen."

Watari rolled his eyes, following the cat keeper inside. As always, Shinjimae grabbed ahold of his own specifically made food, the others getting whatever else was on the table. Everyone gave him their warm (or so he would assume) greetings, then continuing to their business.

The detective was motioned over to sit in between Keishi and Shinjimae. Keishi handed the raven his food, Shinjimae in the meantime leaning over to talk to the detective.

"N-nice to see you, Watari," the animal whisperer greeted, giggling happily. He held his palm out, allowing Saki to bite into the treat. "W-why did you come here late?"

"He overslept." Keishi eyed the animal whisperer with a soft expression. "Watari's hair is a mess."

"O-oh, really?" Shinjimae leaned back, squinting. A second later and he made a loud gasp. "W-wow, you're right! I-I didn't notice that."

Watari raised a brow, moving his hands over to brush his hair. "I didn't think it was that messy, Keishi."

Keishi shook his head, a small playful smile appearing on his lips. "I think it's obvious."

"Y-you're so observant." Shinjimae pouted jokingly. "Geez, I-I didn't notice that."

Nothing out of the ordinary happened during this time. Watari allowed himself to indulge in Shinjimae and Keishi's conversations, at the same time eating his food. He could hear the other Ultimates engaging in their own conversations. He noticed that Misaki and Masako were talking about him to Tomoyo, the screenwriter listening intensely. He then noticed Kyatchi who ate to his lonesome, then Blanchard who was arguing with Viorel. Watari noticed the looks that Akio was giving him, and he also noticed the outbursts Ayako would cry whenever Hitomu and Yume spoke (or passively argue with one another over 'cooperation'). Nonetheless, everything wasn't too different. Everything seemed the same.

Dinner ended without a second to spare. Everyone left to do their own thing, Decebel and Hitomu cleaning up the dishes.

"W-Watari!"

The detective smiled as he turned to eye Shinjimae and Keishi. "Mhm, I could waste a bit of time to speak with you two."

Keishi nodded. "Then let's go."

The trio moved, Shinjimae leading them into the library. Watari figured this was a time for them to relax and read. The library did give off a relaxing and tranquil atmosphere despite _that_ happening.

 _They're trying to normalize everything, I'm assuming._

The detective did not have a problem with this, and so he said nothing. Instead, he walked over to one of the shelves in search for a book. Shinjimae in the meantime took a comfortable seat down, Keishi moving over to sit next to him.

"T-these seats are really comfortable, h-huh Keishi?"

Keishi nodded, smiling shyly at the animal whisperer. "They are."

Shinjimae's smile widened at the man's statement. The animal whisperer went on to carry Saki, putting her to his lap. He proceeded to spoil her, cuddling and cooing her.

Watari chuckled as he heard Shinjimae cooing Saki, then hearing Keishi giggling at them. The detective, amused, continued to search through the shelves.

His hand brushed through each book, feeling its texture. He hummed a short tune to himself before his hand rested on a specific book. The title interested him, as it was one he had never seen or heard of before- 'Sandglass'.

 _Hm… let's see._

Watari took the book out from the shelf. He felt its leather cover, black while the title was embroidered in a golden metallic color. The smell of paper. Tapping his foot idly, the man flipped to the table of contents, then to the first page.

He began to read the book, silent and concentrated. Hours passed as he indulged himself in the world of fantasy.

One passage had caught his interest however, and it was that passage which ended up causing him grief.

 _[If she died, then what am I to be?_

 _Lucifer, the angel who sinned against our one and only God? The archangel of death and sin itself?_

 _A traitor to the people who branded me a title, a name? Am I to become a traitor against my own kin, my own family?_

 _No, I am empty. I am but an empty shell who can never recover from the loss of his beloved._

 _Time will continue to pass, but I will never forget her. I played a plentiful of songs to keep the sand above the hourglass stuck, frozen in time._

 _As long as the grains of sand above do not fall and drown me in my glass chamber, I can promise her that I will never forget her. I will continue to sing and pray for her safety, her health, her entire being._

 _Even if the stars above mock our relationship, I will continue to wish her happiness._

 _-The sound of the metal bell rings._

 _Wind brushed against my face. The sound of metal clashes against one another._

 _I can only see red after that.]_

Quite a strange passage. Whatever that passage held any significant meaning or was only a literal meaning to the book itself, it bothered him. Watari didn't know why, but that passage seemed to resonate with him. Why, he didn't know.

His heart was aching, and he just didn't know why.

Maybe he was tired, maybe the story hit him in an unknown place. He didn't know. He just didn't know right at this exact moment. Everything was unknown to him.

Watari sighed. He placed the book back to its original place, focusing his attention to Shinjimae and Keishi. The duo were laughing with one another, Shinjimae almost on the verge of crying over how much his stomach was hurting.

"You two seem to be in a good mood," Watari said, walking over to the duo.

"O-oh, Watari, you're d-done reading?" Shinjimae's lips quivered. He shakily wiped the corners of his eyes. "S-sorry, I'm running o-out of breath… A-ahem! S-so, how was it, Watari?"

The detective shrugged, chuckling. "Nothing special, Shinji. Just a simple story about a star-crossed couple."

Keishi raised a brow. "Like Romeo and Juliet?"

"I suppose it's something like that." Watari crossed his arms. "Anyways, it's quite amusing to see you two having the time of your lives."

Keishi's eyes widened. "R-really? Did it look like that?"

"I-I mean, we were h-happy." Shinjimae chuckled amusingly, petting Saki who barked in acknowledgement. "T-that's-"

 _CRASH!_

Shinjimae jumped, jolting from his seat. "W-what was that?!"

Watari was first to charge outside, running over to find a few people in front of the library. In front of his eyes were Hitomu, Kyatchi, and Misaki. Hitomu was on the ground, bleeding. Misaki had rushed in to the man's side, grabbing ahold of his legs and unrolling his pants. There were cuts on his legs, red oozing out and trickling down. Kyatchi, last to be seen in the scene, was standing still, stunned.

"What was that for?!" Misaki cried, anger directed at the juggler. She was glaring at him accusingly. "You injured him!"

Kyatchi shook his head. "N-no, that's not what I wanted! I don't know what happened!"

The surgeon frowned, tears forming. "You're such a jerk! You clearly intended to harm him- Oh my gosh, Hitomu, your legs are covered in blood!"

Watari looked at the ground. There were a bundle of plates which were broken and turned into shards. He also noticed that the ground was unusually squeaky polished and clean.

"Look, I didn't intend for him to be injured, just to fall and have a good laugh." Kyatchi raised his hands up, gritting his teeth. "I was going to warn him since he was carrying those plates, but I was too late."

"It's fine." Hitomu smiled softly, giving Kyatchi a warm look. "You didn't know I was going to take these plates to the auditorium, so it's fine-"

"That doesn't matter right now!" Misaki threw an arm around Hitomu, helping him up. "I'll bandage him. You! Y… You better clean that!"

"Hey, wait, Misaki!"

Kyatchi was unable to stop the woman, Misaki carrying Hitomu towards the infirmary. The juggler was stuck in silence, now unsure of what to say.

"U-uh…" Shinjimae gulped, worriedly eyeing the juggler. "A-are you okay?"

"Of course I'm not!" Kyatchi quickly turned away from the animal whisperer, now murmuring to himself, "Shit, I didn't mean for this to happen…"

Shinjimae tried to talk to the man again, but Kyatchi stepped away from the animal whisperer and took out his MonoPad. He began typing into the keyboard, cheeks flushed from its color.

"Damn it…"

"Hey." Keishi suddenly grabbed into Kyatchi's sleeve. "I'm sure it's not your intention at all."

Kyatchi eyed him silently, then shaking his head and shoving Keishi to the side. "Just leave me be. I'm going to clean up."

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "That's-"

Watari grabbed ahold of the animal whisperer, moving him over towards him. "Shinji," he began, murmuring into his ear, "Just let him be."

"W-what?" The animal whisperer paled. "W-Watari…"

"Some people don't like to be bothered when they desire recovery." Watari's grin was dry. "Let's go."

"I…" Shinjimae slowly turned to the juggler. He bit into his lips as he noticed Kyatchi's expression of pure agitation. Still, he forfeited and motioned Keishi to follow him and Watari away.

The trio silently (albeit quickly) made their way into the dormitories.

"I-I hope Kyatchi and the o-others are fine," the animal whisperer began, saddened as Saki nuzzled against his leg as comfort.

Keishi held his breath. "We'll only be able to know tomorrow."

Watari nodded. "Mhm, no use fretting about them now, dearie."

The animal whisperer sighed. "Still…"

Watari glanced to Keishi. Giving the man a signal to move, the survivor walked over to grab the animal whisperer's shoulders and eye him.

"They'll be fine," Keishi began, though it was obvious he wasn't sure of those words himself, "We should rest. It's about to be nighttime."

"A-ah…" Shinjimae smiled forcibly. "Right, w-we should get to sleep."

Keishi nodded. "Good night then."

Shinjimae slowly walked over to his room, Saki following close behind him. He unlocked the door and turned to Watari and Keishi. "G-good night."

The door shut closed.

Watari turned to Keishi. "Don't worry, dearie. I'm sure everyone will be fine by the time morning arrives."

Keishi hummed softly as a response.

"Well! Guess I should sleep myself." The detective spun around, twirling before suddenly stopping to wink at the survivor. "Good night, my dear."

"... Same to you."

Watari made his way over to his room. He shut the door behind him as he stepped foot into his own territory. His first thought was to jump into his bedsheets, a yawn escaping his lips.

 _Despite the efforts everyone tries to do to keep the group unified, it is most certainly failing. How tragic._

Watari hugged his blankets.

 _It's to be expected though. Hm, I do wonder how much I'll be able to learn from everyone tomorrow… that is, if we actually decide to go through with our 'group discussion' little event._

Watari wasn't sure, and he could only wonder.

* * *

Anyways, and that is the end of the chapter. I do wonder if you are disappointed that a murder didn't happen in this chapter, hm? Oh well, don't fret! The murder will definitely happen in the next chapter, and I assure you it will be quite the interesting one (or not, depends on you).

Quick announcements and promotion time! If you haven't seen already, there are a few new SYOCs that have been posted up. If interested, please go check zephryr's **Scarlet Stained Snow**! Although zephryr has another story called **Release Condition** , I can assure you that zephryr's an awesome person who can handle his new SYOC as well! Please go check him out for he is an amazing person and writer! Other than zephryr is **The Melancholia Experiment** by Crimson Spider Lily! Please go check that SYOC out as well for Crimson has a very interesting premise!

Ahem, well, other than that... Since the murder is going to come soon... Who do you expect will die this time? Please leave your thoughts in the reviews!


	16. Chapter 2 - Part 1, Part E

Hello, and here we go! Finally, I am done with this chapter! Now we get to see everything go down, teehee! I am so glad that I finished this since I really didn't have any motivation to work on any stories these past couple of weeks. Anyways, enough of me rambling, let's get on with the story!

 **liammarklh88:** "Yes, a great Halloween present for you for that chapter, haha! Aw, glad I made your day! Haha, glad you think so. Keishi, Shinjimae, and Watari are the best trio. They'll fight Masako, Misaki, and Tomoyo for best trio XD Watari's a strange cookie. Guessing is always fun~ Upupupu, who knows. Masako's a cinnamon roll. Kyatchi is our favorite juggler, haha. Aww, thanks! And same to you!"

 **ToonGuy:** "MWAHAHAHA- cough, cough. Shinjimae is a beautiful cinnamon roll, he's too nice! No one knows, lol XD Misaki is a strange cookie. Kyatchi needs death, please give it to him. Scream, Watari needs to talk to Masako more, the asshole! XD Aw, you still don't want death. Haha, thanks!"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Oops, I'm the type of person who spans everything out in five chapters XD I forgot about that. Let us pray. Aww, thanks! Good luck to your story as well~"

 **Meta King:** "Yeet, thankies."

 **Abitat Eco:** "Aww, glad you think so! Pfft, make their relationship better please XD Mhm, we must balance the character screen time *smacks myself* Definitely will work on that somehow. The endings to things are always ominous. Shinjimae is such a cinnamon roll. I love him~ Aww. Well, let us see if any of your guesses are correct then! Aww, you take care of yourself too!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "And yet another long essay- I mean review XD I always enjoy your reviews though, so yay! Monokuma and the mastermind will definitely be something to take note of since, well, they're supposed to be significant, haha! Watari should still be Watari, but a nicer Watari and not a completely different person. Yeah, definitely, so tell me if anything's off about anything throughout the story XD Criticism is always good. Tomoyo and Watari's relationship continue to be an important thing for the story, haha. Mhm, interesting thoughts! Everything that the group plans spells trouble, unfortunately haha. A great scene between Viorel, Watari, and Kyatchi. Library and stories are my favorite stuff to write about, totes. Poor Kyatchi, please save him. Aww, thanks!"

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Lupus Overkill!**

* * *

Anyways, that's all I have to say! Bye for now~

"Let us be honest here- would you truly sacrifice yourself to save another person? Especially a stranger?"

A questionable expression laid down on the responder's face. Lips moved.

"... Really, is that what you think? I believe in the opposite. Like we mentioned before, humans are quite the selfish little critters."

A smile and another response.

"... Puhuhu, really now? That's interesting! You're much more optimistic than you lead on, huh? You're quite the deceiver."

Lips continued to move, and another response came immediately.

"Honestly, in my opinion, it is better for people to be hopeful and optimistic. Don't you know how fun it is to destroy that cute little ray of hope they have? It's beautiful."

A questionable expression. Another response followed.

"Despair is natural in us, silly. Hope is nothing more than a forced feeling we try to elicit ourselves in when that natural sense of despair is trying to overwhelm our poor souls. Despair is natural, and hope isn't. Hope is a learned condition, a conditioned stimulus."

Questionable. Lips moved in quite a slow manner.

"... Yeah, that might sound confusing, but it doesn't matter. I'm just telling you this to make myself better. I like talking to you, after all."

A laugh. A mocking, mocking laugh.

"What? It's true though! You're a really interesting person to talk to, didn't you know? People like you are whom I like associating myself with best, but why is that? Well, is it because I'm into people who try to be cynical like you? Is it because I like to be around people who see themselves as superior to other people? I don't know. All I know is that I like seeing people break down and beg for their worthless lives."

Silence.

A response came slowly, quietly after a moment.

"I'm not here to murder people. I'm here to help you all, I promise you. You're all in need of redemption anyways, right?"

Curiosity.

"What do you mean, you don't know? I'm lying? Of course I might be. I could either be lying, or I could not be lying. Depends on you. What do you think?"

An irritated answer.

"Of course you would be annoyed. You want a straightforward response. I know that, but of course I can't give you that."

A grin escaped the speaker's mouth. The bear's mouth. Monokuma's mouth.

"You should know that by now."

* * *

"Bastards! It's time to get up and move it! Wake the fuck up!"

Watari yawned, stretching his arms out. Blankets were kicked to the side, and feet landed on the ground. Like always, he stood up and walked to the bathroom. He washed himself up and changed into his attire- the same attire as always, but at least a different set of that same attire. A new day required at least a decent appearance, after all.

The detective brushed his hair for a moment, then walking to his room to grab his MonoPad. He quickly powered it on, and, like always, there were a few notifications to be seen.

Obviously, there were some from the group chat, and then another from Shinjimae and Keishi.

First of all, the detective decided to check the group chat. It would be obvious something would be going on, considering what happened last night.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Ayako: I heard Hitomu's been injured! What happened? (01:21 AM)**

 **Akio: Holy shit. You're up this late? (01:30 AM)**

 **Ayako: Why are you so surprised? Same to you! (01:31 AM)**

 **Akio: But yeah, I heard Hitomu got hurt. What happened? (01:31 AM)**

 **Keishi: It happened a few hours ago. I don't know much, but I think it was an accident. Kyatchi didn't mean to hurt him. (01:32 AM)**

 **Akio: Kyatchi? What did he do? (01:33 AM)**

 **Keishi: He was trying to prank Hitomu, but Hitomu was carrying plates to the auditorium and he slipped. The plates shattered and ended up cutting his legs. (01:35 AM)**

 **Ayako: What?! (01:35 AM)**

 **Yume: Oh, that's what happened. I saw Misaki walking with Hitomu a while ago to the infirmary. I didn't want to bother them though. (01:36 AM)**

 **Akio: I hope he's alright. (01:36 AM)**

 **Ayako: Did Kyatchi even apologize to him? (01:37 AM)**

 **Keishi: I… I'm not sure. (01:37 AM)**

 **Ayako: So he didn't? Seriously? (01:37 AM)**

 **Akio: I'm just wondering if Hitomu will be fine later to even help Decebel cook, nonetheless lead our meeting. (01:38 AM)**

 **Keishi: I'm not sure. We'll have to see with Misaki and Hitomu later then? (01:38 AM)]**

The conversation stalled for a couple of hours. They seemed to be engaging in conversation right at this moment, if not a few minutes ago.

 **[Hitomu: Hello! (06:38 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Hitomu! Are you okay now? (06:39 AM)**

 **Misaki: Yay! Hitomu's back! (06:39 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Sorry if I worried you all last night. I should be fine now, just bandaged a little bit. (06:41 AM)**

 **Ayako: Kyatchi should apologize to you. Did he even anyways? (06:41 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Oh, no, that is fine. I was reckless moving the plates, after all. (06:42 AM)**

 **Masako: That's definitely not okay! Please do not say that, please. (06:43 AM)**

 **Ayako: I swear Kyatchi will die before even apologizing to you, geez. (06:44 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Uh, I'm sure he won't. (06:44 AM)**

 **Hitomu: Anyways, I will be cooking food with Decebel right now. The plan we made yesterday is still in place! (06:50 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: That's good! (06:51 AM)**

 **Misaki: You go Hitomu! (06:53 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari chuckled. The conversation seemed quite optimistic and perky, definitely forced in his eyes. Still, it was quite interesting to see the group try. That sense of unity and hope was just amusing to him. Content with himself, he decided to check what Shinjimae and Keishi sent him privately.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Shinjimae/Keishi)**

 **Shinjimae: Hello? (06:54 AM)**

 **Keishi: Hello, Shinji. (06:54 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Hey! Uh, I just decided to make a group chat so we can all talk together. (06:55 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I hope that's fine with the both of you! (06:55 AM)**

 **Keishi: That's perfectly fine. (06:57 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Ah, I wonder if Watari's still sleeping? (06:58 AM)**

 **Keishi: He should wake up in about two minutes though. (06:58 AM)**

 **Keishi: I doubt he'll sleep in too. (06:58 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Okay! Uh, Watari, just message here if you're fine with the group chat! (06:59 AM)]**

The detective grinned. He couldn't help but snicker out of amusement, typing into the keyboard.

 **[Watari: Of course I'm fine with it. If I wasn't, then I would've left without your approval. (07:05 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Oh! Thank you! (07:06 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

 _Thank you, huh?_

Watari sighed, closing the MonoPad. He looked around the room for a moment, thinking to himself.

No, he wasn't thinking about anything, more so wondering if he was in need of rest or peace. He didn't know if he was stressed or worried. He honestly didn't know. His heart never once skipped a beat nor has his stomach ever churned.

He thought about nothing simply to rest himself. Simple, simple.

A knock at the door.

Watari hopped out of bed and headed over to the door. He turned the knob and eyed Tomoyo who was outside.

The woman was slightly pale.

"What, did you get a nightmare or something?"

"I… I suppose you could say that. It was just a simple dream about death," the woman began, choosing her words carefully. She seemed to be eyeing Watari slowly, eyeing his body movement.

 _Does she think I'll mock her for a simple nightmare?_

Watari sighed, eyeing the woman with a small grin. "Nightmares are meant to be scary, dear. They're usually nothing more than a figment of your imagination."

Tomoyo's eyes slightly widened at this, and she quickly cleared her throat. "Yes, I knew that. I do not exactly fear death, after all."

Watari crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. "Maybe not for you, but the death of your loved ones, possibly. You're those types of people who care greatly about others, after all."

"T-that's-!" Tomoyo blushed, quickly averting her gaze and coughing. "Well, yes, I do care. Shouldn't the same be said for you?"

Watari chuckled dryly. "No, not really. People are nothing more than animals, yet we treat ourselves as superior to 'animals'. I would give care to humans the same as I give care to animals- indifference."

Tomoyo frowned. She quietly mumbled under her breath, however Watari heard just enough to understand what she was saying-

"... you're lying."

The detective bit into his lips, but quickly hid it with a chuckle and mocking smile. "It's alright, Moe, I'm sure you have more people who care for you other than me anyways."

Tomoyo eyed him for a moment. An awkward smile escaped her lips as she pointed at the man. "No, it's fine. I like being around you since you're shorter anyways."

Watari was silent.

The screenwriter jumped, face turning red. "S-sorry! I-I thought that would lift up your mood…"

The detective frowned, deadpanning.

The woman noticed this and continued to fluster about, completely embarrassed with herself. "I'm sorry…"

Watari sighed, now closing the door behind him and stepping closer to Tomoyo. "I would say something about how your awkward side makes you all the more endearing, but enough about that. Why bother comforting me? I wasn't in any position that required comfort."

"Well…" Tomoyo cupped her hands, rubbing them together. "You're still a friend of mine."

"How?" Watari frowned. That disgusting sense of optimism was overwhelming Tomoyo's face, and it was choking him. "After all I did against you?"

Tomoyo nodded. She seemed to have noticed the discomfort in Watari's expression, but she continued on regardless. "You have your reasons for trying to isolate yourself from us. I know you have your reasons for joining Monokuma's side and I can't question you about it-at least not yet-but I know you have a reason."

"That's not the case," Watari began, "I don't like any of you. I can't trust any of you. I only joined Monokuma's side to benefit myself."

"But you're lying." Tomoyo shook her head. "You haven't seen yourself at all, haven't you? You're more selfless than you think. You're just sacrificing yourself for us."

"Says who? You?" Watari laughed. "You're dreaming. I hate that. Why is everyone insisting on that false sense of hope? That sense of optimism? It's disgusting. People do things because they believe in not others, but themselves."

Tomoyo averted her eyes. She pursed her lips, expression hardening. "If you truly believed that, you would've gotten all of us killed in Monokuma's stead."

"... What?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "You could've gotten all of us killed last time. Monokuma desires bloodshed. All everyone ever wanted from us Ultimates are either our deaths, our bodies, or our entire souls. Everyone wanted to have us killed to ruin Japan's entire sense of pride in us, or have us ransomed and sold to belittle our title and scare these future Ultimates candidates."

"Tomoyo, please, that's not the case."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. If it wasn't her actual name being said that surprised her, it was definitely how angry the detective's tone was.

"Please, let's drop the subject. I don't want to cause anymore discord between us, at least that which affects you completely."

Tomoyo frowned. "I am not fragile."

"You think?" Watari's lips curved into a smirk. "People who always believe that something will go well for them always end up begging for forgiveness later. It never ends up well for them. Only a tragic, sad ending awaits them at the end."

"That's…" The woman bit into her lips. "Only because they have the right to try being hopeful?"

Watari laughed, shaking his head. "That's hilarious. People still cling onto hope despite knowing their end will come. It's sickening."

Tomoyo was silent. She didn't know what else to say.

"Alright!" Watari grinned, clapping his hands together. "I'm sure we're keeping the others waiting. We should go now, Moe."

Tomoyo frowned. She eyed the detective who began walking away, however followed without a second to spare.

The duo reached the dining hall, and, as always and to Tomoyo's distaste, Hitomu was right there at the door.

"Hello!" Hitomu greeted, a friendly smile plastered on his face. The man's legs were wrapped in gauze and bandages. His two little critters were nuzzling against his legs, almost as a way to comfort him. "You two came here quite later than usual. Did you oversleep, Watari?"

"Of course I didn't," the detective sighed. He then raised a brow, focus on Hitomu's bandages. "How are you anyways?"

Hitomu's smile widened. "O-oh! I'm fine now. It doesn't hurt as much as I expected it to."

"Are you sure?" Watari eyed him curiously. "You're quite the strong cookie then."

"Mhm!" Hitomu laughed, scratching his head. "Never underestimate me then!"

Watari rolled his eyes. "Cute."

"Enough about me though," the brunette continued, eyeing the duo, "How are you two feeling today? You two seemed a bit troubled."

"A-ah…" Tomoyo averted her gaze. "You could tell?"

Hitomu chuckled sweetly. "Please, I have my siblings and kittens to take care at from home. Of course I would recognize if my friends are troubled in return."

Tomoyo awkwardly crossed her arms. "I mean, Monokuma does have the motive out. We've been worrying about that since he even announced it."

"You seemed more troubled than before though," the cat keeper said, hazel eyes scanning the woman. "Did you sleep well?"

"No, not really." The raven sighed. "It was just a nightmare. It woke me up."

"There, there." Hitomu chuckled. "Don't worry. It's only a nightmare. It shouldn't bother you much. Just think about what'll happen later after we eat!"

Those words resonated with the woman, for her lips curved into a sweet, albeit awkward, smile. "Y-yeah, of course!"

Watari smiled amusingly, moving over towards Hitomu with a hand on the door. "If you're so excited about it, dearies, then why don't we eat now before precious time runs out? We're doing that right after breakfast, after all. The afternoon calls for such."

Hitomu smiled widely, suddenly patting Watari on the back. "You should take care of yourself too. Everyone here are working together to stop Monokuma, after all. Not only you."

 _You believe in that false sense of optimism on me too, huh?_

Watari dryly smirked. "That's sweet of you."

He opened the door and headed inside. He was instantly greeted by the people inside who were eating.

Well, that was, except for Kyatchi.

"Uh-"

"I kicked him out." Misaki's tone was blunt and sharp. "He wasn't willing to apologize to Hitomu, so I told him to leave."

"Wait, what?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. She stared at the woman in shock. "M-Misaki! But-!"

"Tomoyo, you're too sweet, but if he isn't willing to apologize, he's not going to." Misaki sighed as she turned to smile at Tomoyo. "It's a way of making him feel guilty."

Tomoyo shook her head. "But! But still!"

The surgeon bit into her lips. "It was the only way I know how to make him feel bad. It's supposed to…"

Yume eyed Misaki for a moment, frowning. She crossed her arms and slowly began, "Isn't that a shame? You were one of the people who wanted everyone to unite together."

"I…" Misaki averted her gaze. "I know that."

Watari couldn't help but eye the surgeon for a moment, then to Tomoyo. He noticed that same look of pain from both parties, that same look of shame and guilt. He quickly cleared his throat. "Ahem. I'm sure Kyatchi will come back. He loves society, after all."

Misaki looked at the man. That hopefulness in her eyes disgusted him. "Y-yeah! That's what I was thinking as well!"

Yume shook her head and murmured underneath her lips. "That's stupid."

Still, life still had to go on, and so everyone slowly began eating. Watari moved over to take a seat next to Shinjimae and Keishi, and Tomoyo to Masako (she seemed to be avoiding Misaki now). Hitomu smiled awkwardly as he walked over to the table.

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat loudly, garnering the Ultimates' attention. "As you may or may not know, I have gotten myself hurt yesterday in an accident. Please do not let that dismay any of you all. I am perfectly fine, and I am in no need of an apology from Kyatchi. He isn't at fault here, so please don't discriminate against him."

Misaki's eyes widened. "Hitomu…"

"Anyways, let us not engage in that topic." Hitomu allowed his cats to roam on his shoulders. "We will partake in a group conversation later. We have arranged the plan yesterday, if any of you had forgotten."

"O-of course we haven't!" Shinjimae beamed, happiness obvious in his eyes. "I-I'm excited."

"Aren't you a dear one~" Watari mused. He tossed a slice of clementine into his mouth. "Don't be too excited. Some of us are quite shy in group discussions."

Keishi raised a brow. "Does that include you, Watari?"

Watari laughed. "That would be preferable to you people here, but unfortunately I am capable of speaking to you all."

The survivor frowned. "But about yourself?"

"Ah, that." The detective gulped down his cup of water. "I could easily twist what I say about myself though. Whether it is about my life, my family- anything I say can be a lie, sweetie."

"Oh…" Keishi awkwardly nodded his head. "That makes sense."

The detective grinned widely at the survivor. "Mhm! Yeah, doesn't it? I'm glad you understand me~"

Although a quick and meaningless conversation, it was over, and Watari continued to eat his food. He listened to the others as he always does. He noticed Hitomu who was speaking happily to Akio, also trying to talk to Yume who didn't seem involved in anyone's business at all. He then noticed Tomoyo who slowly made up with Misaki, the duo now engaging in small talk alongside Masako who smiled politely at them. Decebel and Ayako ate in a peaceful silence, and, obviously, Keishi and Shinjimae were speaking to one another.

The only person missing from the scene was Kyatchi, the Ultimate Juggler.

 _I wonder if anyone here was kind enough to give Kyatchi food. Maybe Shinjimae? Or even Hitomu, assuming he really did forgive him and was here at the time Misaki yelled at him._

An interesting thought. Watari finished drinking into his cup of water.

Everyone seemed to have finish after him. Everyone began finishing their last bite, last gulp, anything. They all began filing out.

"Remember!" Hitomu clapped his hands together. "We'll meet in the auditorium in a few minutes! I'll message you all when we're ready."

Everyone continued to move. Tomoyo stopped to eye the cat keeper.

"Uh…" The screenwriter eyed the man. "I'll go try to persuade Kyatchi to join."

A hesitant look escaped Hitomu, if even for a short second. It disappeared as he nodded his head. "Of course. I want to see everyone there, after all."

The screenwriter smiled and left, having noticed Akio from afar.

 _Hm…_

Shinjimae jumped off from his seat, excitedly heading over to Hitomu. "C-can I help you?"

Hitomu's eyes widened. "Oh! Sure, Shinji, if you would like to. You don't have to though."

"N-no, I asked anyways!" Shinjimae smiled brightly. Even Saki looked excited, tail wagging back and forth. "I-I'll help you with anything you need!"

Keishi followed Shinjimae, arms crossed. "I'll help as well."

Watari sighed. He noticed Shinjimae and Keishi's looks that we're thrown at him, and he mockingly raised his hands up. "I'm not obliged to helping, right?"

The cat keeper chuckled. "Of course not. I am not here to force you."

The detective glanced at Shinjimae. The animal whisperer was eyeing him curiously.

Watari glanced to Keishi. The survivor was staring at him, expression quite unsteady.

"Heh." Watari looked back to Hitomu. "I suppose I could waste my time in your presence, Hitomu."

"Oh, really?" Hitomu smiled sweetly as he picked up Kazue and Reiji in his arms. "There's no need to. You really don't need to if you do not feel like helping out."

Watari shook his head. "No, no, consider it my way of observing your movements. Not only yours, but Shinji and Keishi's as well. It's important to observe and investigate one another's movements, after all."

"I see." Hitomu laughed. "Alright then. I appreciate any help you give me."

"So! W-what do you need help with?" Shinjimae asked, eyes sparkling in excitement. He was staring at Hitomu almost expectantly at that. "O-oh, you and Decebel might need help w-with the dishes, huh?"

The cat keeper was amused, smile radiating as he eyed Shinjimae. "You're too sweet. Thank you for being so kind."

Shinjimae nodded, bouncing in his step. "N-no problem!"

Keishi couldn't help but chuckle. "You're so nice."

Hitomu crossed his arms. "We should get going then. Blanchard's working on the dishes alone right now."

"O-oh! Right."

Everyone headed into the kitchen. Blanchard was humming a tune to himself- a foreign tune, most likely, given how strange it sounded to Watari. The butler hadn't noticed the group yet until he settled a dish down after drying it. From his peripheral vision he saw the quartet.

"Ah." Blanchard turned around to bow. "Greetings to you all. What brings you here, asides from Master Hitomu?"

Shinjimae smiled, awkwardly ruffling Saki's fur. "Er… W-we wanted to help you."

"Is that it? I see." Blanchard frowned. He bowed down again. "I'm sorry if my work isn't enough to please you all. I will do better next time."

"W-what?" Shinjimae's eyes widened. "N-no! I didn't mean it like that!"

Watari snickered, amused. He ran around Shinjimae to grab his shoulders. "Not at all what Shinji meant. Don't you know how much of an angel sweet Shinjimae here is?"

"Uh…" The animal whisperer was unsure of what to say.

Blanchard thought to himself for a moment, then nodding. "Of course. My apologies then, Master Shinji."

The animal whisperer was completely baffled. "Uh… N-no problem?"

"Hm." Keishi walked over to the sink. He grabbed ahold of a pair of gloves before turning the faucet on. There, he began washing the rest of the dishes.

"Oh. Looks like Keishi's already starting." Hitomu chuckled. "We should help now."

Shinjimae jumped. "Y-yeah!"

Everyone began following what Keishi did. Following his movements, everyone began cleaning and washing up. It didn't take long- only about half an hour- and soon the group had finished washing the dishes.

"There we go!" Hitomu seemed proud of the work, hands over his hips. He was looking at the cleaned dishes with a proud smile. "So clean and sparkly!"

"That was a job well then." Blanchard smiled calmly at this.

The eyepatch switched to Viorel. "Ahem! Remember that Blanchard did a lot of the work-"

"Shush, Viorel, our masters here did some work as well."

Viorel took over the body now, apparent with the roll of the eye. He decided to stay silent though, only witnessing Hitomu speak to the others.

"Alright!" The cat keeper chuckled. "We can get ready for the hang out session then."

"Ooh, yay!" Shinjimae's smile was wide. "W-we should go to the auditorium and t-tell the others then."

Keishi nodded. "Mhm, we should."

Watari sighed, taking out his MonoPad and powering it on. "I'll go message them then, sweeties."

"A-alright."

The detective typed into the group chatroom, easily sending out a message which was received quite immediately by those in the room.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Hitomu said that the meeting should take place now. We'll meet in the auditorium. (11:34 AM)**

 **Misaki: Sounds like a plan! (11:35 AM)**

 **Yume: I'll be there shortly I guess. (11:35 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type…)]**

Hitomu couldn't help but eye Watari. "Do you think that Kyatchi will come to the meeting?"

The detective grinned. "Of course, dearie. Kyatchi's the type of person who tries to deny his actual love for attention. Of course he'll be there."

 _Besides, I'm sure Tomoyo or somebody else will be persuading him anyways… Or force him, most likely._

The detective crossed his arms. "Anyways, dear, let's not worry about that and go to the auditorium. I'm sure you're eager."

The cat keeper smiled. "Mhm!"

Watari and the others went to the auditorium without a second to waste. Once Hitomu had opened the door, Watari had noticed that the chairs were aligned in a circle- just like a seminar, just like a trial. He then noticed a small table in the middle, then a few plates with a teapot, some teacups, and some snacks. A cute little display.

"T-this looks nice," Shinjimae began, walking further inside the room. Watari closed the door behind him and the others. "S-so this is where we'll be hanging out."

Hitomu nodded. "I do hope you all like the arrangement."

Keishi smiled softly. "It looks nice."

"I don't have any complaints," Viorel said, musing in. "I cannot complain about such a simple and peaceful arrangement."

The door opened. Misaki and Masako were to be seen walking inside the room.

"Hey!" Misaki waved her hands about. She was smiling at Hitomu who nodded her way.

Masako shook Hitomu's hand. "H-hello there, Hitomu." She then turned to the others. "A-And hello to you all too."

"Mhm." Blanchard vowed his head. "Viorel and I are pleased to see you."

Watari grinned. "Likewise."

"Ooh, nice setup!" The surgeon cried, hands clapped. "I like it!"

Yume was next to enter the room. She eyed the group for a moment before sighing. "Hello."

"Great to see you here!" The cat keeper smiled sweetly.

Yume shrugged. "Everyone else is going, so I decided to go here as well. I'm just here to witness what happens."

Hitomu couldn't care less, perky. "That's fine."

"We still have to talk about ourselves though." Watari smirked at the woman. "Are you afraid of that, dear?"

"I don't care." Yume frowned. "Whatever everyone wants."

The detective snarked at the nihilist, eyebrows furrowed. "Oh really now?"

Yume didn't care about the man's response, simply moving over to take a seat down. She was now kicking her feet to and fro.

The next person to appear was Ayako. The lolita fashion model was eyeing the group with an awkward smile.

"Uh, hi!"

Misaki waved at the woman. "Hey! What's up?"

"I'm good!" Ayako beamed instantly. "I see everyone's not here yet. I'm glad I wasn't the last one here, hehe!"

 _Seems like Ayako's trying to appease to everyone. Hm._

Watari didn't speak though. He decided to stay silent about Ayako's attitude, taking a seat next to Keishi and Shinjimae who looked at him with friendly eyes.

 _Now the ones left left are Akio, Tomoyo, and Kyatchi…_

A few minutes passed.

Another few minutes passed before the rest of the group entered into the room, panting.

"Sorry we're late!"

Akio was the first to enter, breathless. He was eyeing Hitomu with a worried look. "Sorry, sorry. We were trying to convince Kyatchi."

Hitomu eyed the actor curiously. He looked at Akio before then eyeing Tomoyo who entered into the room, a melancholic expression on her face. "What happened?"

Tomoyo smiled. She seemed to be thinking to herself, pondering on what to say before opening her mouth slowly, "Kyatchi won't let us talk to him. He won't open the door for us."

"Sadly enough." Akio crossed his arms. "I wanted to try breaking the door, but Monokuma told me it was better if I didn't… or I'd get punished or something like that."

"Darn." Shinjimae was saddened. "S-so Kyatchi's not going to be here?"

Tomoyo shook her head, a guilty expression on her face. "He won't."

Hitomu laid down his head. "Kyatchi…"

"Aw, don't worry about him!" Misaki quickly came to Hitomu's side to comfort him. "Just don't worry about him. Just focus more on what's happening right now! You have a discussion to lead, remember?"

"Ah…" Hitomu nodded. He forced a small smile. "Yes, of course."

"It's fine." Ayako frowned, eyeing Misaki. "Kyatchi's rude to Hitomu anyways, so maybe it's better to not care. Poor Hitomu…"

Viorel couldn't help but snort, a small smirk on his face. "Yeah, definitely-"

"Viorel, please." Blanchard forcibly switched back. "Let us not speak ill about him."

Tomoyo nodded. "Yes, please. I'm sure he's very apologetic about what happened. I'm sure he wants to apologize to Hitomu, but he just… well, he just doesn't know what to say."

"He's not here right now, so it's fine." Misaki awkwardly smiled at the cat keeper, then to Masako. "You think it's fine that Kyatchi isn't here, right? We can always tell him what's happening later anyways."

"U-uh…" Masako awkwardly laughed. She was averting her gaze. "S-sure."

Watari smirked inwardly to himself, observing the surgeon and cat keeper from where he sat. He couldn't help but note what he noticed in his head.

 _Seems like Misaki's trying to comfort Hitomu, since he's definitely bothered by all of this. Quite observant for her to notice his discomfort, if I must say._

Hitomu sighed, reeling his head back. He quickly recoiled from his movement and rubbed his hands together, throwing everyone a warm smile. "Alright! Well, if everyone's here now, then I suppose we can start. Is everyone ready?"

"Right."

Akio and Tomoyo walked over to their seats. After everyone settled down into their seats, Hitomu cleared his throat and began.

"I suppose we will begin right now." The brunette's smile widened. "For starters, we can start with some icebreakers. Does that sound good?"

Shinjimae smiled widely and clapped his hands. "O-Of course!"

"What are you even going to start with?" Yume asked, eye raised. "Something about what murder option is a good choice?"

Akio's eyes widened. "Yume!"

"Well…" The cat keeper cupped his chin. "How about we start by asking how is everyone's day so far?"

Yume chuckled bitterly. "Pfft, a cliched, general question."

"Well, so far my day has been going quite well." Hitomu chuckled. He was petting his cats with an obvious affectionate gaze. "I'm still quite a bit sleepy, but of course I am slowly becoming more and more alert."

"Aww." Shinjimae was definitely having fun listening to the cat keeper, for his eyes were sparkling in delight. "I-I'm glad then."

"Enough about me though!" The cat keeper laughed. "How are you guys?"

Akio smiled and eyed the animal whisperer. "You should speak next, Shinji. It looks like you're really eager today."

"O-oh, am I?" Shinjimae awkwardly laughed, blushing deeply. Saki walked over to nuzzle herself against his leg. "W-well, if you guys don't mind, t-then I can speak."

"Of course you can." Watari grinned, amused. "Do you need anyone's permission to?"

"T-true…" Shinjimae took a moment to eye Keishi. Since the survivor smiled at him, the animal whisperer felt inclined to speak, clearing his throat. "W-well, for starters, I'm fine. I-I'm just excited today b-because of our meeting now, haha…"

"Aww, ain't that cute!" Misaki giggled. "I just wanna get a DNA sample from you now!"

The animal whisperer's eyes widened. "H-huh? What?"

"Don't mind her." Watari chuckled. "But that is sweet to hear, Shinji. How adorable~"

Shinjimae's face turned redder.

"My day has been fantastic so far!" Misaki chirped, hands thrown high to the air. "Still can't get any samples of DNA from you all, but other than that I'm fine! Not dying or anything, heh!"

"I guess." Yume shrugged. "This day's the same to me as every other day. Always breathing, sleeping, eating… that's it."

Ayako giggled, kicking her legs back and forth. "I mean, at least today we're becoming much more friendlier with one another."

 _Mhm. Sure. You're just happy you're not being attacked right now. You and Decebel._

Watari knew better than to speak up on that though.

"That's true!" The surgeon nodded her head rapidly, almost violently. "This is great! It's like we're actually having a friendly hangout session in the mall or something!"

"That's good," Keishi murmured, smiling.

"Anyways!" Misaki pointed to the group, excitement in her eyes. "How are the rest of you all?"

Masako spoke up with a polite raise of her hand. "I-I am doing fine, thank you for asking. Monokuma i-is taking a toll on m-my health, but I should be fine- Ah! S-sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned his name."

"No, you are fine." Blanchard calmly crossed his arms. "I am sure we are all aware of our situation right now, overall."

Yume frowned, letting out a soft grunt. She accidentally kicked her foot against the chair's leg. "Don't see the point in apologizing."

"A kind gesture nonetheless." Hitomu smiled sweetly, eyeing the survivalist in a friendly manner. "I am glad you are doing alright though, Masako."

The woman smiled back, albeit sheepishly. "Y-yes."

"Well, to drag on the conversation, I would say that my day has been alright so far." Akio tapped his foot idly on the floor. A tune seemed to have resided in his head, for his head slowly bobbed up and down to its beat. "Hm… Then again, you really can't say that I'm doing 'alright' given everything that's been happening."

Masako smiled painfully. "O-oh, so we are mentioning Monokuma?"

"Ah, sorry about that. I just think it's something to bring up." The actor sighed, resting his head on the palm of his hands. "He's just been a huge hindrance to me, so he's always been in my mind thus far."

Keishi frowned. "I think he's been a hindrance to everyone."

"Yeah, honestly, though I understand why you'd feel the most bothered by it." Hitomu's smile continued to stay plastered on his face. A kind and gentle, fatherly smile. "You're doing better than before though, right?"

Akio chuckled bitterly, deciding to keep his gaze away from any human interaction. "I wouldn't say that, just better at bottling shit up. I'm just a mess right now."

The cat keeper's expression saddened. However, he decided to not pressure the man any further and simply nodded. "Makes sense…"

"Hey, don't be sad now." Akio quickly turned to smile at Hitomu. "We're here to have fun and all that, right? Sorry if I ruined it and all."

"Nah, like you said, Monokuma's definitely something to bring up." Watari grinned at the actor whose eyes widened. The detective cleared his throat before setting his arms out, eyeing the group as a collective whole. "I want to ask, how many people here has figured out anything new?"

Silence. No one seemed to have come up with an answer.

"Is that so?" Watari dropped his arms and leaned back his chair. "Nevermind me then. I was just asking."

"Uh… okay."

Watari smirked inwardly to himself, noticing the concern on everyone's faces.

 _Are they that worried that I'll ruin the supposed 'friendly' mood here? Don't be. I was only asking, silly Ultimates._

"Well then…" Watari turned to eye Tomoyo. "How was your day, my dear Moe? Are you doing well?"

Tomoyo was taken aback by the man's sudden words, eyes slightly widened. She, however, quickly composed herself and spoke. "I am doing fine, thank you for asking."

 _Like I had expected, she lied about her mental health, like everyone else here. It should've been painfully obvious that no one here is doing 'fine' or 'well'. They're all hung up over pleasing others and giving them the answers the others want to hear. Idiots._

"That's good to know!" Misaki bobbed her head. "Glad you're well, Tomoyo."

"Viorel and I are doing well," Blanchard mused, indifference in his tone. "Nothing special has happened between us."

Shinjimae nodded, then turning to Keishi. "H-how are you then, Keishi?"

Keishi blushed slightly, averting his gaze. "I'm doing well. Thank you for asking…"

"If anyone would like to know, I'm doing fine too!" Ayako giggled happily, hands over her lips. "You guys are all happy, so I'm happy as well! I want to get what happened in the past over with, after all. Hehe!"

Akio awkwardly smiled at that, but said nothing.

Hitomu chuckled. He looked over to the detective. "How about you, Watari? Are you feeling well?"

Watari snickered, amused. He was honestly expecting everyone to ignore him. "Of course I am feeling well. Everyone else is, and so am I. Mob mentality, sweeties."

Yume raised a brow, slightly baffled. "Is that a positive response or negative one?"

"What do you think, Yume, my dear?" The detective couldn't help but grin slyly, wanting to tease the nihilist for a moment. "Do you think that I am being sarcastic or am I as genuine as an angel in heaven is?"

Ayako raised a brow. "How are you an angel anyways?"

"He's being sarcastic, clearly." Blanchard crossed his arms, calm in his tone yet elegant in his posture. "Master Watari merely wants to amuse himself."

Watari laughed, throwing his hands out. "Of course! That's why I'm here in the first place anyways. Aren't we all here to have fun? To amuse ourselves?"

"True, true." Keishi shrugged. "He has a point."

"Mhm!" Shinjimae was nodding his head happily. "I-I'm glad you're feeling well though, Watari!"

 _Ugh, too nice. How saccharine._

Watari turned to Shinjimae and winked over his way. "Yes, but only because you're here, my dear Shinji."

"O-oh! R-really?" The animal whisperer's entire body turned red. "I-I'm glad you think of me t-that way!"

Keishi couldn't help but sigh, eyeing Shinjimae with curiosity.

Tomoyo crossed her arms. "It is nice to know that everyone is doing well though. Hm, now what-"

"Puhuhuhu! You forgot someone, didn't you?"

Masako jumped. "Ah! I-is that-?!"

Akio's eyes widened. "Oh god… Don't tell me…"

And, from above, a tile broke and suddenly came down Monokuma, falling into the middle of the room and landing on his two feet. A proud and confident smile was on his face.

"Hola! Bonjour!" The bear threw the Ultimates a peace sign. "How are you all doing? Are you happier now that I'm here?"

There was no response.

Monokuma pouted. "Geez, really? I was so sure you'd be crying by now. At least something?"

Silence.

"Sheesh, you guys are too much for me. Tough crowd yet again." Monokuma groaned, shaking his head. Disappointment was overwhelming his entire body, posture slouched and head aimed down. "And I thought you guys were having a great time! My hope has long since gone. Thanks."

Hitomu was the first to speak, eyebrows furrowed. "Uh, what are you doing here, if I may ask?"

The overseer immediately jumped at Hitomu's words. "Ooh, thanks for asking! Now, I'm a nice bear. I'm supposed to look over shit and all that, but I've been ordered to tell you all that the motive will end in a few hours."

"Oh, really?" Akio raised a brow. "Isn't that a good thing though?"

"A-are you sure?" Shinjimae was shocked. "A-are you lying to us?"

"Of course I'm not! I always do what I'm told to do like a good son." Monokuma giggled. An uncanny, uncanny smile was on his face. "I just do what I'm told to do. I'm not going to ruin your little party here unless I've been told to do something."

Yume frowned. "... Who's asking you anyways?"

"Why would I tell you?" Monokuma rolled his eyes, a snort escaping him. "You're not the boss of me! I'm Monokuma!"

"I think we all should know that by now," Keishi mumbled underneath his breath, sighing.

Akio shook his head, eyeing Monokuma with a fierce stare. "Well, then answer us this- why is the motive going to end in a few hours? Isn't that a good thing for us, and a negative thing for you?"

The bear laughed. He seemed more than amused to answer the actor's question, almost as if he found the question stupidly adorable. "Don't you guys know how crazy someone like me works? Everything will always end up badly for you guys, not me."

Hitomu held his breath. "And why is that?"

Monokuma snickered, expression cocky and malicious. "If I want murder, I will get murder. That's how it always works."

"You sound so sure of that." Watari couldn't help but smirk, eyeing the overseer in amusement. "You already know that someone is plotting murder, am I wrong?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "W-what?! Murder?"

"Over such a stupid motive?" Yume raised a brow. "Surprising."

Watari snickered as he stared down Monokuma, almost daring him to a challenge of sort. "The mastermind only told you to inform us of this because you want the murderer to hurry up and murder someone, huh?"

"That…" Hitomu crossed his arms. Kazue and Reiji rested over his shoulders. "That would make sense."

"Woah, accusations. Fake news, fake news." The bear rolled his eyes. "Believe whatever you guys want. I'm just here to inform you stuff, dearies."

"You're obviously just trying to ruin this discussion," Ayako whined, pouting. "Let us have fun!"

Monokuma chuckled. "Aren't you all supposed to be worried about the soon-to-be murderer, not me? I'm sure you're all scared, aren't you?"

Masako bit into her lips, hands cupped and fingers tapping one another. "T-that's…"

"Can you just leave us alone?" Misaki glared at the bear. "We're trying to have a conversation in peace, and you just ruined it!"

"That wounds me, maiden." Monokuma shed a tear. "I'm just here to tell you all what I need to tell you all. I was even nice enough to let you worry about a possible murderer on the run here."

Keishi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. How nice of you."

"C-can you please just leave us alone?" Masako asked, eyeing the bear. "I-I do not want to hear anything from you, sorry."

"Mhm. Same." Shinjimae looked at the bear with slight disdain, hand on Saki. "C-can you leave us?"

"Wow, okay then." Monokuma rolled his eyes, sighing. "Fine. Bye~"

Monokuma shot back up to the ceiling, and soon he had disappeared from sight.

"Uh…" Shinjimae couldn't help but awkwardly look around the room. He was embracing Saki with a worried gaze. "S-so…?"

"So are we going to stop this?" Yume raised a brow. "Monokuma did say there's a soon-to-be killer."

"You want us to believe in his words so easily?" Hitomu raised a brow, frowning. He was shaking his head. "I am sure that he is messing with us."

"May I make a suggestion though?" Akio stared at the cat keeper intensely. Eyes stared straight into Hitomu's. "How about we stall the conversation for another time? Even if what Monokuma said isn't true, I'm sure his words will stay in our minds throughout the entire day. Let's just wait for the motive to end."

"Why're you so adamant about it?" Keishi asked, curious. "Are you scared?"

"Of course not!" Akio laughed awkwardly, blushing. "I'm just worried about you guys, that's all."

Watari eyed the actor for a moment, thinking to himself. He smirked inwardly to himself, deciding to simply stay quiet and observe everyone.

"I suppose we should listen to him," Blanchard said, standing up from his seat. He didn't notice the look the actor threw at him at all, the butler having moved over to the door. "I will clean the building if we are done."

Misaki grinned. "You're sound excited."

The butler shook his head. "It is my duty, after all. I do what I must do."

Keishi raised a brow, but sighed. He turned to Shinjimae. "I think everyone will go. We should leave too."

"R-really?" Shinjimae was saddened. "Aw…"

"Blaise said we can do it another time, so we'll be fine." Keishi smiled softly. "We can just wait for the motive to end."

Shinjimae pouted, but nodded. He turned to Hitomu and the others. "S-so, are we d-done then?"

Hitomu sighed. "I suppose so. Blaise does make a good point."

"I-I am worried, to tell the truth." Masako cleared her throat with a meek smile. She stood up from her seat. "I-I think I will go then."

Tomoyo's eyes widened as the survivalist immediately left the room. "M-Masako! Oh gosh… It always ends up like this."

Blanchard eyed Masako who left, then sighing. He bowed his head to the group before leaving the room. Whether he wanted to catch up to Masako or not was a mystery.

Akio eyed Tomoyo with a sad smile. "Sorry. That was my fault."

The screenwriter shook her head. "It's Monokuma's fault." She turned to her only friend left. "What do you want to do then, uh, Misaki?"

"Hell if I know." The surgeon shrugged. "I… I don't know."

Ayako puffed her cheeks up and jumped from her seat. "Geez! Everyone's leaving? I can't believe this!"

"I mean, it's their choice." Keishi shrugged. "You can't blame them."

"Hmph!" The lolita fashion model shot the survivor a look, however her focus mainly directed to Hitomu. "You're fine with this?"

Hitomu awkwardly nodded, laughing. It was obvious he looked a bit worried, if not, unsure of himself. "Y-yes, that is fine. We can continue this another time. Besides, maybe Kyatchi will join us this time."

Misaki's expression saddened. "Hitomu…"

"It's fine!" Hitomu immediately cried. He smiled widely, Kazue and Reiji jumping to the ground. The cats were running around his feet. "I'll use this time to investigate around the school then."

Shinjimae couldn't help but eye the cat keeper worriedly. To the animal whisperer, it was obvious that Hitomu was bothered by what happened. "U-uh, I can help you, i-if you want-"

"No, I'm fine!" Hitomu cried, shaking his head. He was chuckling lightly. "I know you already have plans to spend time with Keishi, right?"

Shinjimae lowered his head. "Ah, true… a-are you sure?"

"Mhm, don't worry about me." Hitomu began making his way out of the door. "If you need something, just message me, alright?"

The animal whisperer bit into his lips. "A-alright…"

Hitomu left.

Shinjimae turned to Keishi with a nervous smile. "S-sorry about that."

"It's not something to worry about." Keishi smiled at the man slightly. "I'm worried about him and the others too."

The animal whisperer awkwardly nodded. His attention turned to the rest of the Ultimates. "Y-you're all going too, right?"

Ayako hopped off from her seat. "Yeah. I'm a bit mad at Monokuma right now."

Yume sighed as she stood up. She glanced around the room before frowning. "That was a waste of time," she murmured, then leaving the room after the lolita fashion model.

Misaki's expression hardened. She looked over to Tomoyo. "You wanna fetch a snack?"

Tomoyo sighed, unsure. The woman forced herself to smile at her friend. "Uh… W-whatever you want, I guess."

Misaki smiled back in return. She glanced at Watari, the detective having stayed silent all this time. "Do you wanna join us, Ari?"

"M-Misaki!" Tomoyo's cheeks became a slight pink color. "Uh, I don't think he would want to…"

The surgeon raised a brow, feeling the screenwriter's fingers around her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine." Tomoyo forced a smile. It wasn't natural at all. "Erm…"

Watari sighed, closely watching the duo with his two eyes. "I appreciate it, but I would have to decline the offer."

Tomoyo and Misaki looked at the detective for a moment, silent. It seemed like both of the women didn't know what to say or do. Misaki spoke after a brief moment though, laughing with a friendly smile, "Of course! Not a problem at all. Alright then, let's go now, Tomoyo."

Misaki took the screenwriter's hand, and the duo left the room.

Watari heard rustling. He looked over to find Akio who stood up from his seat. The actor was brushing the dust off of his clothes before turning to the door, now walking.

Before he left, however, he shot a look at Watari. It was an unsteady look that Watari was unsure of how to decipher.

The actor left.

Keishi couldn't help but eye the detective. "Are you alright?"

Watari chuckled, eyeing the survivor. "Why wouldn't I be alright, dear?"

The survivor shrugged. He didn't know what to say, and so he kept quiet.

Shinjimae immediately took the initiative, smiling softly at Watari. He motioned Saki secretly, and soon the dog walked over to nuzzle against Watari's leg.

"Shinji…" Watari couldn't help but worry, noticing the animal whisperer's concerned expression and Saki's own look of concern. "You shouldn't worry too much, dear. If you need any comfort, then I assure you I am not going to be killing anybody."

Shinjimae's eyes widened, and he threw his hands over his mouth. "O-of course I know that! I-it's just that I'm worried about e-everyone else…"

"Of course you are," Watari said, chuckling amusingly. "You're too nice of a guy, that's why."

Keishi glanced at Shinjimae, then to Watari. He slowly stood up from his seat and grabbed ahold of the animal whisperer's arm. "You should rest for a bit. You look a bit pale."

"O-oh, am I?" Shinjimae nervously laughed. "T-that's probably because of what M-Monokuma said… Y'know, a-about a lurking k-killer and all…"

Keishi worriedly gazed at him. "Let's go."

Shinjimae looked hesitant, but he seemed too pale to resist. Saki immediately left Watari's side to comfort Shinjimae, and soon the pair left with Keishi guiding them away.

Watari was now all alone inside of the auditorium.

A sigh escaped his lips. He slouched down from his seat.

 _Monokuma's purpose in telling us about the motive is definitely to make the killer take the initiative and kill someone. It's not for us, but for the murderer._

… _Though if I actually think about it, Monokuma would have to be confident in knowing that the killer would actually kill with that in mind. Did he secretly coerce someone to be a killer? That doesn't seem like what Monokuma would do, though my grasp on him is quite frail…_

Watari bit down, gritting his teeth. A sudden surge of disgust and annoyance overwhelmed his body.

 _Monokuma's not giving me any information so far. Tsk. Does he actually know that I'm planning to use him?_

 _If I don't have information, then I can't make any judgment on how we can all escape and turn him and the mastermind to the police._

… _Then again, from what I've seen so far, no matter how little it is, he seems a bit hostile towards this 'mastermind' person. I wonder why…_

The detective heaved in a deep breath of air. A second. He let it out. His stomach churned. His heart was beating.

… _What would Tadaomi do in this situation?_

His heart began to drop the moment he thought of *him*. He gritted his teeth, and he immediately regretted his decision to even think about *him*.

Then again, to Watari, *he* was the only person Watari could ever look up to. If not *him*, then Tsubaki or Kiyoko, to an extent.

… _It's fine. I'll come up with something myself._

Watari jumped off from his seat. He stretched his arms out, letting out a small groan. Making sure he wasn't stiff anywhere, he then observed the room around him.

 _I should see if Kyatchi's alright._

Watari made his way outside of the room, making his way through the hallways. He looked left and right, but found no one in sight. He shrugged, and made his way over to the dormitories. His eyes were directed straight to Kyatchi's room, and within milliseconds he decided knock on the door.

No answer.

Watari frowned. He took out his MonoPad and messaged the juggler.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Kyatchi)**

 **Watari: Kyatchi, get out. I'm outside of your door. (2:59 PM)]**

Surprisingly, Kyatchi responded within seconds.

 **[Kyatchi: Watari? (2:59 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: What do you need? (3:00 PM)**

 **Watari: Just want to see if you're fine. Apparently Monokuma gave us some interesting news. Wanna hear it? (3:00 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Can't you just text me it? (3:01 PM)**

 **Watari: ¯\\_(** **ツ** **)_/¯ (3:01 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: What? (3:01 PM)**

 **Watari: No. Open the door. (3:02 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: aghiujkljhgvf (3:03 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Fine. (3:03 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari grinned, pumping his fist near his chest for his small victory. He waited happily in front of the door which clicked. Slowly, it opened, and there he was- Kyatchi.

"What do you want?" Kyatchi asked, glaring at the detective. "I'm busy mentally dying, y'know."

The detective smirked. "But aren't you always dying, dear?"

Kyatchi snickered. "Maybe. Now what do you want to tell me?"

The detective clapped his hands together. "Now listen here, Kya! Monokuma said that the motive will be ending shortly! Right in about a few hours!"

"Oh." Kyatchi raised a brow. "Wait. really?"

"Mhm!" Watari spun around happily. "Now, now, isn't that great? Aren't you happy, Kya?"

"I mean, I really don't care. I'm just waiting to see when I die." Kyatchi shrugged. He then glanced down at the detective before smirking. "Why did you want to tell me this anyways? Weren't you mad at me yesterday?"

"Mad?" Watari stopped from where he stood. He resorted to smiling slyly at the man, almost mocking him. "Of course not. I already not let my own emotions take over me, unlike you, dear."

"Ouch, you wound me." The juggler rolled his eyes. He then averted his gaze, tugging on his bandannas idly. "... How's Hitomu doing?"

"Hitomu? Aw, what, you care now?"

"Oh, shush." Kyatchi bit into his lips. "Is he fine or not? How was the furry convention- I mean seminar anyways?"

The detective chuckled. "It was going fine before Monokuma ruined everything. Hitomu's a bit bothered by it. He's now investigating around the school like he usually does."

"Uhuh, with the motive shit." Kyatchi's eyes then widened slightly. "Why is the motive gonna end soon anyways?"

"Theorizing time then, dear!" Watari giggled. "At the seminar, Monokuma implied to us that there is a soon-to-be murderer lurking about. From deductions alone, I concluded that he wanted the motive to end soon to push the killer into killing someone."

"Huh, really now." Kyatchi grinned wryly. "Maybe Decebel or Ayako's plotting to kill someone again?"

"You think?" Watari raised a brow. "If anything, I would think that Viorel would want to murder you."

"Because he can't betray Blanchard?" The juggler rolled his eyes. "Pfft, what a slave."

Watari said nothing in response, instead glancing at Kyatchi's bandannas and humming. "Hm, have you apologized to Hitomu yet?"

Kyatchi averted his gaze. "Not really."

"Aw, come on now." The detective grinned slyly. "Are you afraid of him or something? You know Hitomu's one of the nicest guys in here. You didn't injure Viorel or someone who hates you like Ayako, see?"

"Yeah, but, like…" The juggler awkwardly toyed with his bandannas, coughing. "I wanted to prank him on purpose."

Watari eyed the man for a moment, then saying blankly, "You never apologized to anyone, huh?"

Kyatchi froze.

"Pfft, that's hilarious!" Watari laughed, amused. "Come on now, Kya. Don't be such a coward. Let's go find Hitomu and have you apologize to him, alright?"

"W-why do you care?" The juggler asked, shocked as he felt Watari's hand on his wrist. "Aren't you the type of person who wants the world to burn?"

"Don't paint me in that sort of light, dear." Watari forced the man to step out of his room. "More than hatred, what I want is to be entertained. What better way to entertain myself than to have someone like you apologize while looking like a cute little high school girl with a crush?"

Kyatchi snorted. "Wow, rude."

"Look, I'll message Hitomu now." Watari took out his MonoPad. Ignoring Kyatchi's baffled noises, the man immediately sent the cat keeper a message.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Hitomu)**

 **Watari: Hitomu~ (03:07 PM)**

 **Watari: Kyatchi wants to tell you something! (03:07 PM)]**

A few minutes passed.

 **[Hitomu: Oh, really? (03:09 PM)**

 **Hitomu: Alright then. We can meet at the workshop then. I'm trying to make something there, haha. (03:10 PM)**

 **Watari: Alrighty~ (03:10 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari grinned, turning over to Kyatchi who sighed deeply. The juggler looked bemused, saying in a grumble, "You really do get off on others' misery, don't you?"

The detective grinned. "Do you mean that in a sexual fashion, dear?"

"Whatever you prefer, sadist." Kyatchi raised his hands up, chuckling. He then curved his lips to a small grin. "Fine then. I'll go to the workshop. I do need to apologize to him anyways."

The shorter man nodded. "See? Now that's the spirit!"

Kyatchi rolled his eyes as he moved out of the room. He moved over to lock the door before walking in front. "I know you'll be there to laugh at me."

Watari smirked and followed the juggler out of the dormitories.

The duo made their way through the hallways. There, they met no one in sight. From what Watari remembered, Tomoyo and Misaki were inside of the cafeteria to have some snacks. Decebel was to clean the entire building (though Watari figured they would be busy with their own room first), and Keishi had helped Shinjimae and Saki to their room. He wasn't sure what the others (Akio, Yume, Ayako) would do, and Hitomu was supposedly investigating the school before deciding to create something in the workshop.

Watari stopped for a brief moment, a sudden feeling of uneasiness in his body. He felt himself tensing up all of a sudden.

 _That doesn't seem like something Hitomu would do though… Maybe he's just making something to clear his head. That, or he's possibly trying to make something to help us fight against Monokuma._

Something didn't feel right..

"Hey, Watari."

Watari felt hands squeezing his shoulders. He winced a little as he looked up to Kyatchi. An awkward smirk forced itself out of his face. "What do you want, sweetie?"

Kyatchi rolled his eyes, sighing as he released his grip. "You stopped in the middle of nowhere for a moment there. Are you literally dying in the inside, faster than me?"

Watari shook his head. "No, I'm fine."

Kyatchi eyed him for a moment, then shrugging. He continued moving down the hallways, Watari following behind him.

The door was now in plain sight. The duo walked towards it slowly, the handle almost shining for some strange reason. Watari glanced to Kyatchi who grabbed ahold of it.

The detective stayed silent, only staring intensely at the handle which Kyatchi was slowly turning.

… _It can't be._

Watari pursed his lips. It felt like time was stopping as the juggler turned the handle and pushed, the door slowly, slowly creaking.

 _I'm overthinking it._

 _Just look ahead._

The door creaked opened, moving and moving until it hit the wall.

Watari walked inside after Kyatchi, and within seconds he knew he shouldn't have walked inside the room-

-yes, he shouldn't have, for the poor cat keeper's body was lying there on the cold, cold ground.

Like promised, there he was, Hitomu Mizushima. However, the unsaid promise of his life and breaths had been broken, for there he was- gone.

If had looked ordinary before, ordinary like an average person, in this present moment he wasn't. He was now in the spotlight- not as a famous celebrity, but as an infamous corpse.

Hitomu's body was laid down on the ground, two long wooden planks acting as his bedding.

No, it wasn't that the wooden planks acted as the brunette's bedding. It was that the two wooden planks seemed to be nailed together to act as a makeshift, amateur-looking cross. A religious symbol that was supposed to represent a deity's suffering was now a symbol to represent Hitomu's suffering, for that wasn't the end of the symbolism.

If that wasn't worse, Hitomu's arms have been spread out across the cross, body and legs together in a mostly straight position. A big, large nail was hammered right into each of Hitomu's hands and feet, nailing him straight to the cross. The poor Ultimate who had tried to bring his companions to unity was there, nailed to the cross which was on the ground, almost mocking him.

Blood stained the cold floor and wood. Other than the nails hammered into Hitomu's body, what caused the entire floor and wooden cross around him to stain with deep, dark crimson was the fact that he was bleeding from everywhere else.

The back of Hitomu's head seemed to be completely covered in blood, evident from the traces of blood trickling down his forehead. His locks of brown hair were stained in red, trickling down from the back and wetting the plank. Most likely a fatal wound to his well-being.

The worst part was not that, however, but the wound on his body- no, not the wound, but the complete opening and tearing of his stomach. His stomach had been torn open, stomach acid mixing in with blood. It was such a disgusting sight to see, his stomach almost holding the mixture of blood and acid as if it were a drink held in a ballroom. The stench was making it worse, for it smelled of death and wasted food throughout the room.

"Ugh!" Watari threw his hands over his nose, tearing up from the overwhelming odor. His head was spinning.

 _Dammit. I should've known!_

Watari gritted his teeth, staring at the cat keeper's body.

 _He's dead. He's definitely dead. Dammit!_

The detective looked around the room, ignoring Kyatchi's confused murmuring and shocked cries. He couldn't care less if anyone else came into the room.

 _Where's Kazue and Reiji?_

Watari turned around. Left. Right. Front. Behind. He looked all over the place before hearing a soft mew.

The detective's eyes widened. He looked to the corner to find Kazue, the poor tabby bleeding to death on the floor. Near the chubby cat was Reiji, the sleek black kitten mutilated to death.

The raven bit into his lips. He forced himself to steady as he walked over to the tabby, kneeling down to put his fingers to the kitten's neck.

… _No good._

Watari looked down at Kazue, forcing himself to hold his breath. The tabby gave him a soft mewl before falling flat on the ground. Kazue was now dead next to not only Reiji, but alongside Hitomu.

The detective was silent. His heart was beating quickly. His head was spinning. His stomach was churning.

He could hear Kyatchi's bewildered gasps. He heard footsteps coming inside. He then heard screams, then the body discovery announcement.

Ayako was screaming at Kyatchi. Yume was shaking her head in disappointment. Blanchard was now in a heated argument with Viorel, and it sounded like Akio and Tomoyo didn't want any of the argument. Masako was crying, and Misaki had ran over to check Hitomu's body. Keishi was shaken up and murmuring in a mantra, and-

-and Shinjimae was bawling.

Watari closed his eyes. He inwardly breathed in, and then out.

He stood up and kept himself steady. One. Two. Now, he was looking over to the group with a mocking grin.

"Even after what happened before, we still decided that killing was the best option, huh? Pathetic."

He couldn't care less about the looks everyone threw at him.

Especially the look Shinjimae threw.

He had to do this.

He had to play the villain, for it was the only he knew how to convince the others to stay away from him.

* * *

And that's the end of the chapter! What did you think? Sorry it took over ten thousand words to just get to this point, oof.

Anyways, I might be a bit busy. Finals are coming up and I should really study, haha. Well, of course, I'll work on the investigation and trial for both of my stories! I might be slow in updating~

Like always, quick announcements! **Zephryr** still has **Scarlet Stained Snow** out! **The Melancholia Experiment** by **Crimson Spider Lily** is still open as well! Please go check those SYOC out as well and send characters if you're interested!


	17. Chapter 2 - Part 2, Part A

Hello, and I am here to spoil you all with this new chapter I have. Haha, hope you are having a good day today! It's almost 2019 for me, so that's exciting. Still have some projects to work on, but that's fine~ Almost done with them, after all. Anyways, enough of me, let's get down to this show!

 **Meta King:** "MWAHAHAHAHAHA BECAUSE I CAN!"

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Our poor Cat Jesus is dead, let us all pray for our baby here. No one will lead the group now. Group dynamics are good and bad at the same time, sadly enough~ Poor Kyatchi just wanted to die, but someone died instead of him! Drama is always the best thing to see in a story, especially in a murder mystery! Shinjimae is suffering, someone please go comfort the baby. Haha, of course, of course~ Thanks~"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Yes, our poor baby died. Symbolic deaths are beautiful, aren't they? Sadly, Hitomu had to suffer in order to receive that symbolic death. Aww, thanks so much! Good luck as always with your story, haha~"

 **ToonGuy:** "Haha, glad you liked the surprise~ Tomoyo is a smart person, but isn't she just an overly sweet person? We must keep Tomoyo safe! Yes, Hitomu and his cats are dead, mwahahahaha! I'm never a nice person when I'm writing stories~ I'm glad you really like my writing, you're too sweet!"

 **ThePersonOfNothing:** "I know right?! Poor Hitomu and his cats! Haha, thank you!"

 **FruitlessKitty74:** "Haha, interesting choice of murderers, I see~ Well, we'll have to see, now would we?"

 **Abitat Eco:** "Awww no, Eco D: Hitomu was too sweet and didn't deserve death, but this is Danganronpa, and Danganronpa is cruel. Poor cats had to die too, the poor babies. Symbolic deaths are fun, haha, but of course symbolic~ Shinjimae definitely needs Saki and Keishi to help console him, the poor baby. Shinji is sweet though, lol. I see we must burn Akio at the stake XD Drama is going to be intense, yes! We must avenge Hitomu and his cats! Haha, glad you enjoy my stories~"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Another long review, I see. You beat me before I can post this chapter, oof XD Dream sequences are always fun, and yes redemption. Redemption, but why, hmm I wonder~ Everyone does care about our dear Hitomu, of course, but there will always be tension. Word gets around quickly. Watari and Tomoyo's interactions are always fun for me to write, but they definitely do have that tension, haha. Conflict is fun~ Haha, nice of you to analyze the scene between Misaki and Tomoyo, nonetheless Hitomu and Tomoyo's interaction. Yeah, the group's not very united haha. I see everyone's suspicious about Hitomu's message~ Mhm, of course. Poor Hitomu was murdered brutally, and yeah he was the uniting force basically. Haha, we'll find out sooner or later! Yes, yes~"

* * *

It was obvious that what Watari said would've pissed people off, but he certainly didn't expect Shinjimae to be the one running at his throat.

"D-don't say stuff like that!"

Watari's eyes widened, feeling Shinjimae's grip against his collar. He bit into his lips as he looked up, straight into his teary and wide green eyes. He didn't realize how taller Shinjimae was in comparison to him before, and now he was aware of how Shinjimae seemed to overpower him in terms of height.

"W-why would you say something like that?! T-that's… That's so cruel!"

Watari felt the animal whisperer's breath against his face. The coldness of the animal whisperer's tears fell down to his face. The detective held his breath, averting his gaze.

"I'm just stating what I feel," the detective began, throwing a wry smirk at Shinjimae. "I won't go soft on you all just because of this. I have a job, and that job is to solve crime."

"But…" Shinjimae gritted his teeth. "But! … W-why do you have to be so cruel…?"

Watari inwardly smiled at that. A depressing, depressing smile that he will never allow himself to expose to the others.

"Because I'm who I am." Watari chuckled. "If I'm cruel to you or the others, then so be it."

"T-that's…" Shinjimae's grip on Watari loosened, for he fell to the ground in complete and utter hysteria. He was hugging himself tightly, shaking. "Hitomu…"

Keishi immediately ran to Shinjimae's side, comforting him. "Shinji, hey…"

Watari looked down to find himself staring at Shinjimae and Keishi. He inwardly bit into his lips as he looked over in front, finding the others who were looking at him in discontent.

The detective was silent. He stayed silent as the laugh of the bear overwhelmed the area.

"Upupupupupu! Hello there!"

Jumping down from the ceiling came Monokuma, the bear saluting the Ultimates with a wide, happy grin.

"Seems like someone died, huh?" The bear laughed, looking at the dead body. "Oh man! How crazy is this?! What a cruel death! Oh my god, this is just… This is just marvelous!"

"Marvelous?" Misaki gritted her teeth. She was glaring at the bear. "Are you insane? Someone's dead and it's your fault!"

"My fault! Ouch!" Monokuma feigned hurt. "How is it my fault? I didn't kill him! I didn't kill fucking Cat Jesus!"

Ayako gasped. "C-Cat Jesus?!"

"Of course it was your fault," Akio said, blunt. He was shaking his head, disgusted with what the bear said. "You're the one who decided on this killing game in the first place! You were the one who threw us the motive to make us kill to begin with!"

"Huh? Did I?" Monokuma raised a brow. He tapped on his chin. "Hmm… I don't remember that…"

"E-excuse me, but y-you're just mocking us," Masako murmured.

"Doesn't he always?" Kyatchi grinned. He awkwardly cleared his throat as he turned to eye the bear. "He's always like that, mocking us."

"That is true." Blanchard stared at the bear calmly. "It is still a shame someone had caved into killing another."

Yume held her breath. "Seriously…"

"H-Hitomu…" Ayako was crying.

"You guys are so dramatic." Monokuma rolled his eyes. "You guys blame me when I'm not the murderer."

"You might as well be," Keishi muttered, disdain in his face. "You made us kill one another."

"Yeah!" Misaki stood up from her spot, glaring at Monokuma. "You're the worst! How could you do this to us?! Is it funny to you?!"

"Of course it is~" The bear swooned, swaying from side to side. He was dancing to and fro in a slow, mellow pace. "I love seeing the hope in you guys' eyes shatter the moment someone goes against your want of unity. It's just precious."

"You…" Akio shuddered. "You asshole."

Monokuma grinned. "Aw, thanks, dear. I'll take that as a compliment."

The actor was in disgust.

"Anyways, let's get right on with this shit!" The overseer threw his paws up, laughing excitedly. "The murderer of Hitomu Mizushima, our wonderful Ultimate Cat Keeper! Ack, the poor cats died too?! Should this be a triple murder?!"

"Can you shut up?" Ayako cried, biting harshly into her lips. "This isn't funny!"

"Why don't you guys shut up?! You guys are the annoying ones!" Monokuma huffed, crossing his arms. "Always on and on about how you stupid Ultimates are the best and all that shit… Ugh, it's annoying! Just fucking give up that stupid speech and admit that you Ultimates aren't actually 'Ultimates' and just fucking humans!"

"And what right do you have to say that?" Misaki cried, body shaking. Her entire face was pale, eyebrows wrinkled in anger. "You're the one who's making us suffer like this."

"Well, rather not argue about that sort of shit. I'm more into seeing you all investigate and fail trying." The bear giggled, now amused. "The murder of dear Hitomu Mizushima and his two kittens… Can you guys solve it?"

"O-of course we can." Shinjimae's face was firm. He was staring at Monokuma, still red with tears. "W-we'll definitely s-solve their case…"

He fell into another fit of tears.

The sounds of Keishi and Tomoyo comforting him.

"Is that so?" Monokuma deadpanned. He did not seem to care at all, apathetic. It was as if Shinjimae's poor state didn't make him care at all. He instead sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "Well, anyways, that's all I have to tell you all. Any questions? … No? Well, if that's all, then I'll go take my leave! Buh-bye~"

Monokuma jumped high and back into the ceiling where he now disappeared from sight.

Silence.

And even more silence.

It was so blatantly obvious that no one knew what to do.

Akio quickly cleared his throat, moving over to the middle of the room. He smiled at the group, though it was clear he was struggling to not cry himself. "Guys, I know we're mentally tired, but let's not let what Monokuma say get to us! Let's solve Hitomu and his cats' murders together!"

Yume averted her gaze. Hesitation was apparent on her face. "I hope so…"

Misaki suddenly turned to glance at Kyatchi. Anger had completely overwhelmed her. "Are you the murderer?"

"O-Of course not!" Kyatchi was shocked, offended. "Why would you think such a thing?"

"Liar." Misaki continued to shoot bullets at him, but lowered her head and trembled. "This is unfair… why…"

Watari walked over towards Misaki, focused on Hitomu's corpse. He eyed Misaki's pale face. It slightly bothered him, lips pursed. However, he shook that off as he bent down to eye the surgeon. "Hey. Can you be a dear and inspect his body?"

"H-huh?" Misaki's eyes widened. A realization struck her as she quickly nodded her head, embarrassed. "R-right. Of course."

Watari nodded, standing back up from his position. He grinned as he turned to eye the group. "What? You're too weak to even try solving your dear friend's murder? At least try caring for the kittens here."

"Can't you be at least more well-mannered when asking Misaki to inspect Hitomu?" Akio was definitely ticked off, tapping his foot. "She's a surgeon, not a body inspector."

"And I'm a detective." The man chuckled. "It's my job to do what I can as dutiful as possible. Besides, weren't you the one who wanted everyone to investigate instead of moping around like poor little strays?"

"Yeah, but…" The actor shook his head. "No, yeah, whatever."

Masako quickly bowed her head down. "I-I'll do my best!"

Keishi looked over to Shinjimae, worriedly eyeing him and Saki as they took a step over to him. "Are you alright? You don't need to force yourself."

Shinjimae shook his head. He was wiping the tears off from his face. "N-no… I-I want t-to solve this m-murder… I-I want to help y-you all as much a-as possible."

"Shinji." The survivor gulped. "You look really pale though."

"I-I'm fine. I-it's just that the sight of m-my friend…" Shinjimae gagged a little to himself. His body was still trembling, fingers still tapping about in place. "... P-poor Hitomu… Kazue… R-Reiji…"

Keishi was silent. He didn't know what else to say.

"I'm sure we can figure out who did it!" Tomoyo cried, trying her best to lift everyone's mood. She was sweating as she spoke, awkwardly looking around the room. "I-if we try hard enough, I'm sure we can do it."

"Hopefully…" Ayako was sniffing, snot daring to fall from her nostrils. "I can't believe this happened…"

Kyatchi scoffed, cursing underneath his breath, "Of course she'd say that after what happened before…"

Fortunately, nobody heard the juggler's words except for Kyatchi himself.

Watari sighed, stretching his arms out. He couldn't bother to listen to the people around him. His focus had to linger onto the crime scene, not the interactions the Ultimates held between themselves. He decided to ignore whatever else the others said and was finally now focused on investigating the crime scene at hand.

* * *

 **INVESTIGATION START!**

* * *

The detective knew that, first of all, it was important to know what exactly happened to the victim.

Watari silently did a run down of the victim's information.

Hitomu Mizushima. He was the Ultimate Cat Keeper. Brunette and hazel-eyed. He was wearing black trousers with white socks and black slip-on sneakers at the bottom. On his top he wore his partially zipped up and patched up green hoodie over his white shirt and blue-knitted jumper.

And, of course, Watari couldn't forget about the cat keeper's beloved cats.

Kazue. A white cat that was slightly pudgy. She was always around Hitomu and Reiji. Reiji. He, on the other hand, was a black and sleek cat.

Those two cats had met the same fate as their owner. The detective could've sweetened this horrible ending by making a claim that the cats are still united with their owner, but remembering how cruelly Hitomu's body had been treated as well as the poor cats- Watari just couldn't make such a claim.

 _I also heard that Hitomu had a lot of other cats back home… and his younger siblings…_

But Watari did not want to recall what he had learned about Hitomu. He would rather not. He didn't want to pity the cat keeper, especially now of all times.

 _Hm… Alright, I should see what Monokuma wrote in the Case File._

Watari took out his MonoPad and turned it on. He briefly looked through the different applications on screen, then tapping to the truth bullets. There, one piece of evidence was available to see.

* * *

 **Case File #002**

 **Summary: Hitomu died inside of the woodshop around 3 PM. He had suffered a concussion and multiple other injuries before he died out of shock and blood loss. There is a large, open wound on the back of his head. His stomach had been cut opened and his hands and feet were nailed deeply into a makeshift wooden cross. To add onto that, his cats are also dead. They were both beaten to death and died out of blood loss.**

* * *

Watari tapped his foot idly, reading through the file a couple more times. A few thoughts went through his head, although they were mere questions that he knew could be solved with more extensive investigation.

The detective walked over towards Hitomu's body, attention turned towards Misaki who was silent in her examination. Her eyes were looking up and down on Hitomu's body, face slightly pale.

 _She shouldn't look pale, but I suppose being friends with someone's who's now dead can emit a reaction from even a surgeon._

Watari cleared his throat, diverting Misaki's attention from the corpse and to him.

"Oh, Ari." Misaki quickly threw the detective a smile. A forced smile, but a smile nonetheless. "Did you need to look at the body? I'm sorry if I'm blocking your way."

"You're not. Don't worry, dear." Watari chuckled. "But, yes, I do want to take a look at Hitomu's body. I was also wondering if you would be a dear and compare your autopsy with Monokuma's."

"Oh. O-of course." The surgeon reached into her pocket, taking out her MonoPad. She quickly looked through the file before looking back to the detective. "It's accurate, though I do have something to report."

The raven was intrigued. "Really?"

"It might be minor to you, but you probably want to know anyways." The surgeon awkwardly laughed, scratching her head. She pulled back her locks of black hair. "When I was examining Hitomu's body, I took notice of the order of whether his hands or feet were nailed first. It isn't possible to have him nailed to the… er, cross at the same time, so I was checking the order of which part was nailed first and all that."

Watari nodded. He was relieved that Misaki was more dependable than he thought. He couldn't help but point out how calm she forced herself to be, her tone much more composed and relaxed than it was a while ago. "It is important information. Please, do go on."

"Yeah." Misaki frowned. "Alright, so Hitomu's right palm was the one that was first nailed into. Then it was his left palm, then his right foot and left. You could tell from how his right palm is bleeding much more extensively from his left foot, and especially the fact that his right palm looks much more blotched than his other vital points. From there, I can safely conclude that Hitomu's right palm was stabbed into first."

"Hmm, interesting." Watari was cupping his chin, slowly analyzing Hitomu's body. He eyed the cat keeper's right palm, noticing the purple and pink hues that stained his blood-stained hand. He took a brief moment to eye Hitomu's left palm, then his feet. He turned back to eye Misaki. "You seem right about that. Alright then, is there anything else to take note of?"

"No…" The woman pursed her lips. "I think I would need a bit more time to examine Hitomu's body, then his cats…"

Watari crossed his arms. "I see."

Misaki looked at the detective for a moment, then throwing him a friendly smile. "Don't worry though! I'll be able to get more information anyways! Just trust me. I'm a surgeon after all."

The raven raised a brow. It was obvious that Misaki was trying to cheer him up, but he honestly didn't understand why. "... I think it's obvious you're a surgeon though?"

"Of course!" Misaki couldn't help but laugh, easily able to squeeze Watari's shoulders and massage them. "Anyways, once we get out of here I want to examine your body and the others'."

Watari frowned. "Uh, no."

Misaki threw the man a goofy smile, but it disappeared as she brought Watari closer to her. "You should talk to Tomoyo."

Watari's eyes widened. He turned to eye the surgeon. He was baffled. "And why should I? It's not like she desires my company."

"Hmm, don't know, it just looks like she's been much more awkward around you." The woman then bit into her lips. "Then again, that stunt you pulled with Shinji wasn't really nice… I'm sure you aren't a bad person, but…"

"Believe what you want, but I don't have a desire to befriend anyone." Watari raised a hand up, silencing Misaki from speaking any further. Seconds passed of complete silence between the duo, and so Watari released a soft sigh. "Anyways, dear, care to give me your alibi?"

Misaki furrowed her brows. "Alibi?"

The detective grinned. "What? Do you not have one, dear? Do I have to put your name up on the naughty list~?"

"Nah, I have one." The woman smiled, perky. "Remember? I was hanging out with Tomoyo after Monokuma trashed the seminar."

"Mhm, of course I remember that." Watari chuckled. "You wanted to eat a snack with her."

"Correct, Ari!" Misaki nodded her head. She was crossing her arms with a finger up, almost as if she was teaching a student. "I was basically eating with her the entire time before we heard the body discovery announcement."

Watari nodded in return. "And I'm expecting Tomoyo to say the same thing. Also, did you not invite Masako with you? You three are usually seen together."

"She declined when I messaged her!" Misaki answered, a bit saddened in her response. "Masako looked a bit frightened, so I can't blame her. Monokuma's such a jerk, y'know?"

"So that's all?"

Misaki nodded. "Yup, yup! That's the whole alibi!"

* * *

 **Misaki's Alibi**

 **Summary: After the gathering, Misaki invited Tomoyo over to eat snacks with her at the cafeteria. The duo had continued to eat until the body discovery announcement. Misaki had contacted Masako to join them, but Masako declined in what is assumed to be because of anxiety.**

* * *

"Understandable." The detective then turned to eye Hitomu's body. He glanced over to Misaki. "Is it alright if I examine his body? I may be a freak of nature as a so-called 'nice human', dear, but I want to know if you are fine with me searching his body and messing with the crime scene a little bit."

"Oh!" Misaki's eyes widened. She smiled awkwardly as she looked to Hitomu's body. "I mean, if you make sure not to change the arrangements and everything, then that would be fine… er, what exactly will you do?"

"Check his body, basically." Watari chuckled. "If there's anything on him, under his shirt, hoodie, back."

"Oooh, I see." Misaki nodded. "Sure! I have yet to check on his body that thoroughly, so I'll help you!"

Watari grinned, nodding his head. He began to look over to Hitomu's body, his concentration now focused on the cat keeper. He first took a look at Hitomu's overall appearance, noting nothing of difference other than the poor cat keeper's opened stomach and blood-stained clothes. His eyes fixated themselves over to the brunette's hoodie, slowly looking down to his pockets.

Watari took a step forward, leaning down to reach into Hitomu's pockets. He couldn't care less if his hands would be stained with blood, for the detective felt something cold and hard inside. He took out the object to reveal Hitomu's MonoPad.

"Maybe Hitomu talked with the killer?" Misaki suggested.

Watari rolled his eyes. "Sweetie, Hitomu messages just about everyone here. I'm sure he talks to anyone who's willing to talk to him outside of his usual announcements."

The surgeon shrugged. "Yeah, true. But still!"

The detective sighed, deciding to turn on the cat keeper's MonoPad. He immediately tapped onto the messages and began reading through, looking for anything suspicious in particular.

Other than his message with Hitomu, there were nothing else that deemed as anything suspicious. As suspected, Hitomu had talked to everyone else about the gathering. He never failed to leave a person out from his usual announcements and chitchats, and he did have a few long-running conversations with people like Misaki and Shinjimae. Those were expected however, as he were friends with both of them. He only talked to those two about a few hours ago, and Watari didn't suspect anything was off about the messages.

 _Hmm… The only thing that can be rendered as suspicious would be my conversation with Hitomu. I'm quite surprised Misaki didn't say anything yet, though I assumed she has a liking towards me for some peculiar reason._

Watari heaved a sigh, digging the device back into its original position and spot. The detective continued to look around, taking a closer look at the nails which stabbed into Hitomu's poor limbs. His eyes slightly widened as he noticed something quite peculiar, more so than the oddly symbolic death of Hitomu itself.

 _Oh, what's this?_

Stabbed into Hitomu's left palm was not only a nail, but white and black hairs. Particularly fur, Watari noticed, as he felt the strands of fur against his skin.

"Misaki, how odd are the chances of having fur stabbed into your skin?" Watari asked. "Hitomu does have Reiji and Kazue with him at all times, but I doubt there would be strands of fur of this amount ready in his hand."

"Yeah, it's definitely odd." Misaki was a bit perky that Watari talked to her, though nonetheless her eyebrows were furrowed. "Fur would mainly cling onto your clothes or hair. It's still a possibility Hitomu was holding those strands though. Maybe he was clutching onto Kazue and Reiji before he died."

Watari hummed. "Alright."

* * *

 **White and Black Fur**

 **Summary: There are a few strands of white and black fur that clung to the nail that stabbed through Hitomu's left palm.**

* * *

The detective took another look at the fur, then continued to look around the crime scene. His focus shifted to Hitomu's entire body in particular, the detective not at all bothered as he looked to Misaki.

"Do you have any tissues with you?"

Misaki's eyes widened. "In my room. I can go to the infirmary and get you some too."

Watari nodded. "Mhm. Do that, dear."

"Alrighty then." The surgeon smiled awkwardly at the detective and headed outside the woodshop.

Watari sighed to himself. He glanced around the room, noting the people who were currently investigating. People such as Decebel and Tomoyo were talking to others for their testimonies, and people like Keishi and Shinjimae were investigating the scene.

The detective focused his attention on Kyatchi, staring and observing his movements. Kyatchi was at a worse condition, unable to even say anything or look anywhere. His attention was finally diverted as he noticed Watari, and the juggler immediately threw Watari a flirty wink. The detective winked back, then turned his focus away.

 _I'm not surprised he's that bothered over not being able to apologize to Hitomu. Hmph, the poor dear._

Watari looked over to Hitomu's corpse and reached his hand into the cat keeper's clothes. He heard Viorel calling out to him, possibly suggesting that he was tainting the crime scene, but Watari couldn't care less and honestly- this was needed. He searched into Hitomu's hoodie and into his shirts, but found nothing particularly suspicious.

He heard Misaki walking back inside, and Tomoyo whispering to her.

 _Puh-lease. I'm not into dead bodies nor am I a corpse hoarder._

Watari rolled his eyes as he dug his hand under Hitomu's body. He had a harder time searching for Hitomu's back was crushing his hand, nonetheless the blood that began to soak Watari's sleeve and fingers, however he did find something of interest. He felt something soft and fabric, something that was definitely hidden underneath the man's body. He gripped into the fabric and pulled it out, hoping it wouldn't break.

It was brought out, and immediately did Watari's eyes widen.

 _This is…_

* * *

 **Blue Bandanna**

 **Summary: There is an untainted blue bandanna lying under Hitomu's back.**

* * *

Watari bit into his lips as he noticed people's eyes staring down not on him, but on that particular object.

 _And here they will go jumping at conclusions again._

"So Kyatchi's the killer!" Misaki cried. She had dropped her tissues at hand, pointing fingers at Kyatchi who was startled to death. "You did it!"

"I'm not surprised." Yume shook her head. "He wasn't with us at the seminar anyways, so it was obvious he did it."

"Wha- I, what?" Kyatchi spluttered. "Fucking hell, there's no way-!"

"Master Kyatchi, I am very disappointed in you," Viorel said, though there was an obvious sneer across his face.

Tomoyo held her breath. "Kyatchi…?"

"Fuck, no! Are you all retarded or something?" Kyatchi threw his arms up. "Look! My bandannas are right here! Not only my red one that's red as a fucking tomato, but the blue one that cries at my depression!"

Misaki frowned. "You do know everyone has replicas of their own clothes, right?"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kyatchi shook his head. "Are you fucking sure I wasn't framed like a poor, lost sheep? Why would I be so stupid as to drop my bandanna anyway?!"

"Hey, hey, let's all calm down!" Akio quickly jumped into the fray, breaking up Kyatchi and the others. He was throwing the group an awkward smile. "Aren't we all just jumping to conclusions? It's only one piece of evidence, and haven't we learned from the last trial that there can be red herrings? Come on, let's all just calm down and be friendly!"

Yume averted her gaze from the scene, murmuring, "Says the one who went ballistic on Kiyoko."

The actor seemed to hear that, the shock on his face, but ignored the nihilist and looked to Misaki. "Look, hypocritical as it sounds, coming from me, please just calm down. I know Hitomu means a lot to you and I, but I'm sure Kyatchi's not our only suspect."

Misaki bit into her lips. "Blaise, but-!"

"I understand you, but we have an investigation right now, and I highly doubt we'll find the murderer blaming Kyatchi." Akio smiled at the surgeon. "Let it wait, alright?"

Misaki was hesitant, but accepted the actor's words and backed down.

Akio sighed, relieved. He turned to eye Viorel and the others. "Let's just focus on the investigation and not point fingers till the trial, alright?"

"Hmph, I rather not- Ow!" Viorel was smacked immediately by Blanchard. The enormously tall man was now rubbing his head and nodding. "Yeah, I know."

"I agree." Tomoyo smiled softly. "Let's do that."

Yume yawned. "I'm fine with that. I rather not hear all this white noise when I'm sleepy."

"Can you at least help us investigate?" Keishi asked, deadpanning.

The commotion seemed to die down, and Watari now noticed that Akio was talking to Kyatchi. The juggler looked a bit hurt, although it seemed like the actor was trying to comfort him. Watari couldn't help but avert his gaze from the duo.

 _Trying to redeem yourself after the stunt you pulled during the last case, huh?_

Watari sighed, but then noticed from a distance Shinjimae. The animal whisperer was eyeing the detective in a mixture of emotions- anger, disgust, sadness… They were all there. Watari wondered if the man believed something sinister of the detective, though he couldn't care less and ignored the animal whisperer.

 _It doesn't matter. I don't really care if he hates me or not. I doubt he has the nerve to use Saki to attack me as revenge anyways._

The detective chuckled at that dark thought, then stuffed the bandanna back where it was before. He took a final look at Hitomu's body, now eyeing the area around the corpse. He brought his hands down to the pool of blood and began searching. For what, he didn't know, but at least something suspicious.

A few seconds passed before he brushed over something. He picked up a strange object. A black object that was accompanied with little circles and holes cut into the piece of black metal.

 _This is… carbon fiber?_

* * *

 **Piece of Carbon Fiber**

 **Summary: There is a broken piece of carbon fiber that is soaked in blood close to Hitomu's body.**

* * *

 _Strange. The woodshop only contains iron, wood, and the like. I doubt a woodshop as dusty as this would even have something of value such as carbon fiber. Hm…_

He stood up. He walked over to Misaki who looked paler than ever. "Hey."

"Ari! O-oh right, the tissues!" Misaki quickly bent down and grabbed the pieces of papers, handing them to Watari who caught them with ease. "Sorry about that, I was kinda caught off guard when I saw the bandanna there."

"Hm, makes sense, dearie." Watari was now washing the blood off of his hands and sleeves. "People are naturally responsive to such things. You saw that in Akio when Wakana died and Kiyoko was found guilty."

"Yeah, but I don't really want to act like that when I know the guilty will be executed after…" Misaki awkwardly laughed. "Darn, I don't even know anymore."

Watari chuckled, shoving the bloody tissues into his pockets. There was no trash can in sight. "It's fine. You're a human."

Misaki nodded, a bit happier from what seemed to be consolation. "I guess. Thanks."

Watari raised a brow. "I didn't do anything."

Misaki laughed. "Anyways, you probably want to search some more, so I'll leave you to it! I'm going to investigate Hitomu's body more, so if you need me you know where I am!"

Watari watched the surgeon who headed back to accompany Hitomu's body.

The detective crossed his arms and decided to investigate the setting of the crime scene. He was especially focused to the cabinets and drawers which he assumed where most of the weaponry and evidence were hidden.

"Watari."

Watari smirked as he heard a voice from behind. He looked back to find Tomoyo, the woman eyeing him with an unsteady look. He chuckled, now focusing his attention to the screenwriter. "Do you need something?"

Tomoyo nodded her head, slowly enunciating in her choice of words, "I would like to know your alibi. I'll tell you mine in return."

"Aww, isn't that a sweet deal! A one time offer, how cute." Watari laughed. He was amused to find that the woman seemed annoyed at his words. "But yes, sure, but how are you so sure I won't lie to you?"

"You wouldn't." Tomoyo shook her head. "You like to mess with us, but I don't think you would mess around during an investigation."

The detective frowned. "Then what do you call what I did during the last case?"

The woman averted her gaze. She was pursing her lips, hands cupped together. "You still saved us back there, so… Uh, can you please just answer my question?"

Watari eyed the woman for a little longer, but sighed and forfeited. He still had no idea why the woman wanted to treat him like a friend (God forgive if that ever happened), but he supposed it couldn't be helped. She had the nerve to confront him, after all. "Alright then, I'll be entirely honest. When I left the seminar, I went to talk to Kyatchi."

It was obvious the screenwriter was shocked, her eyes widened. "Ah, you talked to Kyatchi then?"

"That was why you saw him and I at the crime scene first, dear." Watari chuckled. "Let me ask you this then, Moe, you're one of the people who primarily suspects our cute little Kya, huh?"

Tomoyo jumped at that accusation. She almost fell, tripping over her heels. "N-not necessarily. Uh, I mean, I do suspect him, but I know better than to point fingers at him like Misaki did back there…"

"Understandable. Kya was the one who hurt our cute little Mumu with that stunt he pulled yesterday." The detective watched Tomoyo who composed herself, wiping the dust off from her clothes. "To put it shortly, I approached Kyatchi in order to check up on him. I could've messaged him about the idea of a murderer running amok, but I wanted to tell it to his face."

"I see…" Tomoyo frowned, cupping her chin. She was rubbing her fingers against her skin softly. "So, you confronted him to his face."

"It's not that I cared about him, but that I wanted to see his reaction when I said such words." Watari grinned mischievously, uncaring if Tomoyo doubted him. "Anyways, he was in his room the entire time before I told him to come out. We talked for a bit before we thought it was a brilliant idea for him to apologize to Hitomu."

Tomoyo raised a brow. "Really?"

"What? Doubtful?" The detective sneered. "Then, I have another question, dearie. Have you checked Hitomu's body yet?"

"Misaki's doing that." The woman crossed her arms. "She'll tell me what she found after she's done."

"Trustful, aren't you?" Watari snickered. "I messaged Hitomu about Kyatchi wanting to meet him. Hitomu told Kyatchi to come to the woodshop here, and when we came, well… Here we are! Strange, isn't it?"

"Really now?" Tomoyo frowned. "I see…"

Watari nodded and clapped his hands together, almost throwing Tomoyo off her train of thought. "Well, that's my alibi! If you want to know if it's true or not, go ask Kya~"

The screenwriter made a hum in response, then clearing her throat. "I should tell you my alibi then, correct?"

"Yup, yup!" Watari winked at the woman. "Just be careful with your words! You might contradict what Misaki told me!"

"I doubt Misaki would lie to you." Tomoyo deadpanned. "Ahem. I was eating with Misaki inside the cafeteria before we heard the body discovery announcement. We wanted Masako to eat with us, but Misaki said that Masako declined us."

"Hm…" The detective nodded. "That aligns with what Misaki said."

"It should," Tomoyo sighed, relieved. "Anyways, if you want to make sure if what Misaki said about Masako is right, please go ask Masako. I'm sure Masako was in her room the entire time since she was pale when leaving the seminar."

"I see, I see. Thanks for that~" Watari winked at the woman. "Now, if you must, please do leave me be. I like working alone when investigating, dear."

Tomoyo seemed a bit hurt by this, but nodded her head and moved back to where she last stood. Watari sighed once the woman was away from his sight, the detective now began rummaging through the cabinets and drawers in search for anything suspicious.

Watari opened the cabinet that was inside the farthest right from Hitomu's body. There, the detective found something incriminating.

An iron mask and bloody apron.

* * *

 **Iron Mask**

 **Summary: There hid an iron mask inside of the farthest right cabinet.**

* * *

 **Bloody Apron**

 **Summary: There hid a bloody apron inside of the farthest right cabinet, accompanied with the iron mask. The blood that stained the apron looked like it was recent.**

* * *

Watari frowned, inwardly thinking to himself as he eyed the evidence. The iron mask was slightly stained, though if only droplets of red. The white apron, on the other hand, was smeared in blood, obvious that it was used to cover the murderer's clothes.

 _The killer hid these in such an obvious place, inside the very room where Hitomu and his cats lay…_

Watari closed the cabinet, deciding to leave it there for the rest to find. He stood back up from his position, having searched the rest of the cabinets and shelves. He took a look around the area, finding his eyes shifted over to the farthest left corner of the room, near where Hitomu's dead body would be.

He had considered it normal for it to be there beforehand, but now it seemed to be of suspicion.

The detective walked over to the corner and kneeled down, using his hand to carefully pick up a wooden block. He hadn't actually examined the block thoroughly, but now that he was he noticed the tip that was slightly painted in blood. Small, but red nonetheless.

* * *

 **Splintered, Unpolished Wooden Block**

 **Summary: There is a splintered and unpolished wooden block that is slightly tipped with blood. It had been sitting near the farthest left corner of the room.**

* * *

Watari frowned as he placed the block back where it was. He looked over to Kazue and Reiji's dead bodies, feeling a bit bothered that the cats just stood there, dead and without any places for a grave to stand.

 _I can't really complain though. Feeling anything for anyone will just tarnish my concentration._

 _I need to get everybody's testimonies. I need to make sure I'm not missing anything since it looks like I have a few truth bullets left in my MonoPad… about three._

The detective glanced around the room, finding Masako. Remembering what Misaki and Tomoyo said, Watari knew it was better to talk to Masako before talking to the others. He had to make sure the information he's received was accurate, after all.

"Hey, Masa~" Watari called out, walking over to the survivalist who jumped from her spot. She was currently eyeing the two dead cats, eyes slightly teary. "Aw, are you alright?"

"Y-yes, of course." Masako quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. She turned her body around to look at the detective. "M-may I ask what you need, Watari?"

"Your alibi, basically." The detective crossed his arms. "Where were you after the seminar ended?"

"O-oh, yes, of course." Masako bowed her head down. "W-well, I-I have to admit I-I was a bit s-scared about what M-Monokuma told us, so I-I immediately went to my room. I-I got an invitation from M-Misaki to go eat with her and Tomoyo, b-but I was too afraid to go out. I-I only went out after I-I heard the body discovery announcement."

"Mhm, mhm, makes sense." Watari smiled. "I just needed clarification, so I do thank you, dear Masa."

"I-I see." The survivalist smiled softly, if not a bit forced. "I-I'm glad I was at least of h-help to you."

Watari nodded. However, now that he was close to Kazue and Reiji's dead bodies, he couldn't help but examine them for a bit. He bent down to eye their bodies, noticing how beaten up they were. It was obvious the murderer had abused the poor cats. The murderer made it impossible for the cats to escape, and Watari had to wonder if the cats had tried attacking the murderer.

 _Then again, that's a slim possibility. The murderer would've been injured or their clothes would've looked at least torn if that were the case. The door was locked and it may seem like a locked room scenario, so the cats didn't have any chance to escape and were helpless in this case._

Watari inwardly sighed to himself, standing back up. He looked over to Masako and threw her a flirtatious wink before leaving her be, attention turned to the nearest person at hand.

"Hey there, Kya~" The detective immediately flocked over to the juggler who eyed him strangely. Watari was nuzzling himself against the man's body. "Care to comfort me a little?"

"Nah, you comfort me." Kyatchi smirked grimly. "I've been gang banged, y'know?"

"Aren't you still as dark with your humor as ever," Watari mused, chuckling darkly. "Anyways, dear, I would ask you about your alibi, but I already know what happened before you saw Mumu and his babies' bodies."

Kyatchi nodded. "You're still as uncaring about crimes as always though."

"Do I look like I'm uncaring?" The detective grinned. "That's a good thing~"

"If you want to know something, you're short enough to be able to give everyone a blow-"

"Okay, how about we not get in that territory?" The raven raised a hand up, silencing the juggler. "I rather not disgust any of our dear friends here."

"Friends? Hah!" Kyatchi snorted. "Why would I be friends with any of them?"

"And I feel the same," Watari replied, "but let's not be depressing little teenagers and actually discuss the murder at hand here."

Kyatchi was silent. The sudden drop in tone in Watari's voice made the juggler shiver.

"Alright." Watari crossed his arms. "Do you remember anything that can relate to the murder here?"

"Hm…" The juggler tugged at his bandannas, silent in thought. A moment passed before his eyes slightly widened. "Oh, wait a second, wasn't it mentioned that the woodshop here's soundproof?"

Watari cupped his chin. "... Right. I do recall that."

Kyatchi nodded. "Yeah, so, like, the murderer could've killed Hitomu and his cats without being caught if the door was locked. They could've fucking killed them without even having to worry about being caught like a deer in headlights."

"Mhm, I see now." Watari grinned, staring at Kyatchi. "Great, you actually helped me out. I do hate to admit I forgot about that, but what can be done~"

The juggler rolled his eyes. "Can't blame a detective who has so many one star mystery movies running in his head."

Watari chuckled. "Alright, thanks~"

* * *

 **Soundproof Walls**

 **Summary:** **The walls inside of the woodshop are soundproof, so nothing can be heard from both outside and inside of the room.**

* * *

Watari waved goodbye to Kyatchi at the moment, his focus now turned to the next person who was close to him. Unluckily enough for the detective, it was Akio.

Akio seemed to have noticed Watari before the detective can greet him. The actor's expression soured as he focused his attention over to Watari. "Hey."

"Hey, Aki~" Watari winked at the actor. "Care to give me your alibi, dear?"

Akio nodded. "Sure, though I guess I don't have much to cover me by."

"That's fine." Watari laughed. "Kya and I were the first ones to discover Hitomu and the cats' bodies."

"... I know that." Akio averted his gaze. "And I was one of the people who ran in first, after Decebel."

"Ooh, so either Decebel was the one who triggered the body discovery announcement." Watari nodded. "Okay, that's nice to know. What exactly were you doing though?"

"I don't care if you'll suspect me or not, but I don't exactly have an alibi. I was investigating around the place and making sure no one murdered anyone. I was a bit suspicious of Decebel, so I kinda stalked him."

"Oh, really?" Watari was intrigued. "Then what was Decebel doing?"

Akio cupped his chin, thinking. "Well… Other than them arguing, they were confronted by Ayako who asked them to clean her room."

Watari grinned. "Was her room that dirty?"

"A cluttered mess? Yeah." The actor sighed. "It's kinda suspicious, but I don't really want to suspect Ayako or Decebel. Besides, her room was a mess and Decebel spent a long time cleaning it before coming back. That was when we heard Kyatchi screaming and met you and him here."

"Ooh, interesting." The detective nodded to himself. "So, you saw them talking to one another."

"I mean, if you think I'm lying, then just ask them." Akio raised his hands up. "Just don't tell them I told you this. I'm pretty sure they'll get the wrong idea if I was the one who pointed them out as suspicious."

"Because of the last case." Watari chuckled. "Don't worry, I got you, my dear."

Akio was disgusted, but said nothing else.

With that settled, Watari kept that thought in mind. Ayako and Decebel would definitely be of interest to him, however the detective was close to Shinjimae and Keishi. Watari frowned. Although he knew he had to get everybody's alibis, he couldn't help but wonder how the duo will approach him.

"Hello, Watari."

Watari's eyes widened. He looked back to find Yume, the woman eyeing him with a slightly amused look. The detective sighed, slouching his shoulders. "Yume, you really do have a talent for disappearing and appearing out of nowhere. Are you actually a ghost?"

"If I was, then I'd hide as much as I want to from you guys." Yume let out a small yawn. "Besides, you look like you're asking everyone about your alibis, and I'm just here to tell you I went to my room to take a sleep. I was bothered by the body discovery announcement though."

"Uh…" Watari couldn't help but be dumbfounded. Yume was too much of an enigma for him to even comprehend. "Thanks?"

Yume nodded. "Good, you understand. I'll take my leave now."

Watari shook his head. "Wait a second, Yume."

Yume frowned, eyebrows raised. "What do you want?"

Watari lost what he wanted to say. He was quiet as Yume eyed him for a moment. "Uh…"

"What?" The woman furrowed her brows. She looked a bit annoyed. "Did I do something wrong?"

Watari sighed, shaking his head for another time. "Nothing, dear. I was just going to ask why you decided to join us at the seminar earlier. Kyatchi didn't, and you could've easily just ignored everyone if you didn't go."

"I could say the same about you." Yume huffed. "I didn't want to be pestered by everyone."

"You seemed willing to talk to everyone though back there." Watari frowned. "I've also seen you talk to Hitomu before."

"Are you suspecting me of being a murderer?" Yume asked.

"I'm not exactly saying that, dear." The detective smiled grimly. "I just find it a bit intriguing that you actually decided to not be a ghost and talk to Hitomu and the others."

Yume frowned. She looked at the man for a few seconds before shrugging, leaving Watari to ponder.

Watari sighed, biting into his lips. He honestly didn't even know why he talked to the woman. He felt a bit irritated by this, attention forcing itself to turn to Shinjimae and Keishi. Watari felt his heart beating slightly, however he immediately walked over to the duo and waved over to them.

"Hey, dearies!" The detective began. "I want to ask you two about your alibis, so please don't ignore me and talk if you want to be seen as innocent."

"W-Watari…" Shinjimae looked a bit hesitant to speak. He seemed to move closer to Saki who was eyeing the detective cautiously, tail wagging slightly from side to side.

Keishi, on the other hand, sighed, nodding his head. "If it helps clear us of suspicion, I suppose so."

"Now that's the spirit!" Watari cheered, hands thrown high to the air. "Now, what do you have to offer?"

The survivor heaved a small breath. "I wasn't with Shinji, if that's what you're wondering. I don't have an alibi."

"Oh, really?" Watari couldn't help but be a bit surprised.

Keishi nodded. "I was a bit down after what Monokuma said, so I wanted to be alone for a bit. I was wandering around the area for a bit until I heard the body discovery announcement. I was just about to head to my room before I heard the announcement."

"I see." Watari turned to Shinjimae. "How about you, then?"

Shinjimae averted his gaze. His attention was focused on Saki, however he spoke regardless, saying, "W-well, I was in my room m-most of the time. I-I wanted to g-go to the library t-to rest there, b-but then I heard the announcement and ran here."

"Alright then. That's all I needed to know." Watari smiled playfully. "Thanks for that~"

There was no reply.

Watari sighed inwardly, ignoring the duo and leaving them back to their investigation. He walked over to speak to Decebel now.

"Hello there, Master Watari." It was Blanchard. "Do you need anything?"

"Why, yes, I do." Watari crossed his arms. "I want to know your alibi, of course."

"Ah, I see." Blanchard smiled, if not ever so innocently. "I can explain you what Viorel and I were doing. We were cleaning around the school the entire time after the seminar had ended."

"Yeah," Viorel continued from where Blanchard left off, "however, Master Ayako did distract us a bit."

"It's not distract, Viorel, it's request-"

"Oh god, whatever you say, Blanc." Viorel rolled his eyes. "Anyways, Master Ayako 'requested' us to clean her room- Oh, and good god, her room was a mess! Does she even know how to clean her room?!"

Watari sweatdropped. He watched Viorel vent, murmuring angrily to himself.

"Her room was cluttered with her clothes and bedsheets everywhere, I swear!" Viorel sighed deeply. "Anyways, we cleaned her room for a good thirty minutes before we went back to our original job to clean the hallways. We heard a scream from the woodshop, which was Master Kyatchi, and we ran in to find you two there with the crime scene."

"Interesting." Watari nodded. "Were you actually able to clean more of the school after cleaning Ayako's room?"

Blanchard took the initiative to speak, shaking his head. "Unfortunately not, for when we came back that was the time we heard Master Kyatchi crying in shock."

"Okay, thank you for the information, dearies~" Watari winked at the duo. "I will take that in mind and ask Ayako."

Viorel snorted. "Oh, please do- Ow!"

Watari quickly left before he heard the duo arguing again.

* * *

 **Decebel's Testimony**

 **Summary: From what Decebel said, they were cleaning around the building. They were asked by Ayako to clean her room earlier, about thirty minutes before the murder occurred. They mentioned her room was really messy.**

* * *

The last person Watari had to talk to was the lolita fashion model, and the detective easily found her closeby. The woman was sighing deeply before the detective approached her, keeping his smile steady.

"Hey there~" Watari greeted, eyeing Ayako who eyed him curiously. "May I have the pleasure of learning about your alibi?"

"My alibi?" Ayako blinked for a moment, her eyes widened then within seconds. "O-oh! Y-yes, of course! Whatever you want."

The detective chuckled. "Of course, go on."

Ayako smiled. "Uhh, well, after the seminar ended, I decided to look around the school for a bit. It took a couple of minutes before I remembered to go ask Decebel who was near the woodshop to help clean my room. My room was really dirty, I hate to admit it! I followed them to my room and watched them clean the entire time before they left. I had to thank them, after all!"

"Understandable, dear." Watari mused, "And what did you do afterwards?"

Ayako tapped onto her chin. "Hm… I decided to just look around the school for a bit. I was going to get a snack, but then I heard the body discovery announcement and… well, came here…"

Watari clapped his hands together, quickly forcing Ayako out from her saddened mood. "It's alright! It's not like you killed Mumu or the cats~"

The fashion model looked very much uneasy. Watari's chirpy tone was not lifting her mood at all.

 _Who cares about that though. Anyways…_

* * *

 **Ayako's Testimony**

 **Summary: To make certain that Decebel wasn't lying, Ayako said that she touring around the school before she was looking for Decebel and found them near the woodshop. She told them that her room was messy and followed them to her room.**

* * *

Watari couldn't help but eye the truth bullet curiously. He wasn't sure whether or not Monokuma was trying to toy with the Ultimates at this point with how the evidence was worded.

 _I do wonder why he couldn't just allow everyone's testimonies to be written in and compiled into one truth bullet. I believe he is trying to shine suspicion on a few certain people this way, hm…_

The detective sighed. He was at least glad he had talked to everyone else before talking to Ayako, for the announcement began to ring.

"Ahem! Hello, boys and girls, this is your captain, Monokuma! I want you all to report to the goddamn gymnasium right now! The trial's gonna get started! Puhuhuhuhuhu!"

The announcement ended, and everyone was left silent.

Silent in shock? Silent in hate? Silent in unease?

It didn't matter. Watari knew that it didn't matter, everyone looking to one another before, one by one, they headed out the door and towards the gymnasium.

Watari couldn't even care less if he was the last person to go outside the room, for a few thoughts were stuck inside of his head.

 _So, it seems like everything can be found inside of this room. I'm quite surprised that there isn't anything outside of this room that can be used as evidence._

Watari frowned. He slowly made his way out of the room, making his way towards the gymnasium. He can hear a few voices ahead of him.

 _Monokuma's the one who's giving us all these truth bullets, and although I know that what he gave us are evidence used to solve the case, they seem… quite incomplete for some reason._

 _Then again, he left me for naught. He wants me to solve this by myself for some peculiar reason. I have to wonder what exactly is he planning. Why did he choose this school, why us Ultimates in particular, everything._

… _I'll focus on this case first. I can't depend on anyone to help solve this case except for me. They're all naive fools._

He entered into the gymnasium. There stood everybody present, including Monokuma who was smiling grimly at the Ultimates.

"Are you guys all ready?" Monokuma snickered. "I'm ready to drop us straight to the courtroom."

Watari didn't speak. He allowed everyone else to speak instead, though that generosity was ignored- everyone didn't speak.

They were all suspicious of one another, and they were all glaring at Monokuma who shrugged.

"Alrighty then." Monokuma laughed, throwing his hands in the air. "Then let's do this shit!"

The ground beneath the Ultimates began to shake, and Watari knew-

-the trial was about to commence.

* * *

... And here it is! The awaited investigation chapter for AoD! Haha, I'm such a liar, I was going to focus on one case in particular from Disparity or this story, but I decided I want to focus on both of them at the same time! I'm in the mood to focus on these two cases since, well, I like multitasking and being able to focus on any story whenever I want, hehe.

Anyways, who do you think is the murderer? What are your theories? Do go list them in the reviews if you would like, or do go vote in the poll on my profile if you would like too~

Goodbye for now! And hopefully we'll all have a great time with 2019 (although it's still December here and it's New Year's Eve, pfft).


	18. Chapter 2 - Part 2, Part B

Hello, and welcome back! Or, well, welcome to the official second trial! It took quite a while for me to post this, so hopefully I didn't make you all wait too long, haha. Just a stressful life, nothing to worry about~ If you really do want to know, it's mainly focused around my journalism class and having tons of projects piled up on me at the moment. Well... With that out of the way, let's get straight into the trial!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Hehe, of course. Everyone seems to already be pointing fingers at our poor Kyatchi, after all~ I will make all the memes canon, definitely... er, somehow. Carbon fiber is quite something incriminating ;) Ayako's thrown back into suspicion, the poor girl. Aw, thanks! I hope you're having a good day though!"

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Interesting thought! That could be something to take into account, about Kazue and Reiji and all that jazz. Ayako is definitely suspicious, but is she the murderer?! We will never know! Glad you're enjoying the story so far, hehe."

 **Meta King:** "Oof, what a sad title XD It definitely fits them well though, given the last trial."

 **FruitlessKitty74:** "Haha, theorizing is too much work~ I'm always wrong when I theorize myself."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Haha, I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! It was quite fun to write! Ooh, don't worry, I'm sure you'll be able to figure out who killed our precious Cat Jesus~"

 **ToonGuy:** "Investigations aren't really my forte either, so I understand! Monokuma is definitely one who likes to rub salt on the wound, hehe. If it was Shinji, I would be very sad. I wonder why Masako doesn't have an alibi XD No one will truly know what Kyatchi's thinking, ever. Yes, two trials at once are fun~ Mhm~"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Ack, another long review X3 Watari definitely does not want to be around people, upupupu, I wonder why? Poor Shinji though, the poor baby's too sweet to be taunted. I would suspect Kyatchi as well, but I wouldn't be that assertive like Misaki was. Misaki is our beautiful surgeon nonetheless~ Misaki, Tomoyo, and Masako's relationship seem to be the closest and tightest so far, huh? Pfft, Monokuma wouldn't let Kyatchi just kill himself. It's too bland, rip. The carbon fiber is definitely going to confuse people, hehe. A simple case, hm... It's hard to make up with others, after all. Interesting choice of suspects, hehe. I wonder if they're all true? Don't worry, I rush reviewing reviews all the time, don't worry."

* * *

Watari chuckled, amused as everyone finally reached the interior of the courtroom. Despite his bosom slightly aching from having landed on the cold, concrete floor, he was relatively fine and was able to stand up with ease.

He heard Monokuma's shuffling. The bear charged straight to his own seat, kicking his feet up and down before adjusting his position. He turned to the Ultimates with a now relaxed posture, arms leaning down against his throne's arms.

"Ahem, ahem! Welcome back to the courtroom, my lovely babies!" The bear cried out, welcoming the Ultimates with ease. His smirk never once faded from his face, even when the Ultimates glared at him. "Are you glad you're back here?"

"O-of course not!" Ayako spat, shaking her head violently. "Why would any of us be happy that we're back here?!"

"Because of nostalgia, duh!" Monokuma scoffed. "I'm sure some of you guys have fond memories of this place. Hmm, isn't that right, Aki~?"

"Shut up." Akio walked further into the room. "Let's just get this started, alright? I don't want to hear a word from you, Monokuma."

"Well, aren't you just a bundle of fun." The overseer rolled his eyes, but immediately changed into an excited little bear and began clapping his hands repeatedly. "But, yes! Let us get the trial started as soon as possible! Hustle, my lovely Ultimates! Hustle!"

Everyone took a look at one another, but slowly began to follow Monokuma's order and went to their designated station.

Watari walked over to his seat and looked over to eye Tomoyo and Masako who were right besides him. He chuckled before looking over to where Ayako was, noticing Hitomu's empty seat. He inwardly frowned to himself, but said nothing.

The detective looked over at his desktop, smirking grimly at its familiar sight. It wasn't anything like nostalgia, however, it was more that it was known to him in a disgustingly familiar fashion.

Watari sighed. The desktop was turned on, and instantly he was brought to the main menu. He chuckled, moving the cursor over to where the evidence would be stored in. He clicked and now eyed the truth bullets which were laid out on the screen.

 _Hm, let's see what we have here._

* * *

 **List of Truth Bullets**

 **Case File #002** \- Hitomu died inside of the woodshop around 3 PM. He had suffered a concussion and multiple other injuries before he died out of shock and blood loss. There is a large, open wound on the back of his head. His stomach had been cut opened and his hands and feet were nailed deeply into a makeshift wooden cross. To add onto that, his cats are also dead. They were both beaten to death and died out of blood loss.

 **Misaki's Alibi** \- After the gathering, Misaki invited Tomoyo over to eat snacks with her at the cafeteria. The duo had continued to eat until the body discovery announcement. Misaki had contacted Masako to join them, but Masako declined in what is assumed to be because of anxiety.

 **White and Black Fur** \- There are a few strands of white and black fur that clung to the nail that stabbed through Hitomu's left palm.

 **Blue Bandanna** \- There is an untainted blue bandanna lying under Hitomu's back.

 **Piece of Carbon Fiber** \- There is a broken piece of carbon fiber that is soaked in blood close to Hitomu's body.

 **Iron Mask** \- There hid an iron mask inside of the farthest right cabinet.

 **Bloody Apron** \- There hid a bloody apron inside of the farthest right cabinet, accompanied with the iron mask. The blood that stained the apron looked like it was recent.

 **Splintered, Unpolished Wooden Block** \- There is a splintered and unpolished wooden block that is slightly tipped with blood. It had been sitting near the farthest left corner of the room.

 **Soundproof Walls** \- The walls inside of the workshop are soundproof, so nothing can be heard from both outside and inside of the room.

 **Decebel's Testimony** \- From what Decebel said, they were cleaning around the building. They were asked by Ayako to clean her room earlier, about thirty minutes before the murder occurred. They mentioned her room was really messy.

 **Ayako's Testimony** \- To make certain that Decebel wasn't lying, Ayako said that she touring around the school before she was looking for Decebel and found them near the workshop. She told them that her room was messy and followed them to her room.

* * *

Having read through all of the truth bullets with careful concentration and consideration, the detective was confident he can start from somewhere.

 _It's just that I'm not completely certain anyone else here are capable of even thinking for themselves…_ Watari smirked dryly to himself at that thought, mischief in his eyes. _Should I hint the correct answer to them if they can't get somewhere, or should I mess with them a little?_

Watari was about to reach a conclusion before he noticed Shinjimae and Saki. He eyed the duo briefly for a short moment, but it was a moment he found himself intrigued by.

Shinjimae was speaking to Saki- more particularly, speaking in quiet noises. From what the detective learned about being an animal whisperer, speaking in noises or using telepathy rather than human speech are how a human would speak to any sort of animal. Watari wondered what the animal whisperer was telling his labrador, but the raven simply said nothing and left himself curious. He doubted Shinjimae would tell him, after all.

"S-so, uh…" Masako awkwardly held her hands together, looking around the room. "W-where should we start?"

"I…" Keishi bit into his lips. "I don't know."

Watari smirked, bringing his arms out. "Heh! Unfortunately enough, Hitomu was the one who led us all. I'll sit this one out, so please feel free to take on his role and suspect each other~"

"Wow, you really are an ass." Akio sighed, shaking his head. He then cleared his throat and pounded his hands against the desk. "Alright! Let's get started, shall we?"

Ayako's eyes widened. The sudden movement of the actor's body made her jump. "W-woah there."

"You're energetic today," Misaki commented, smiling. She then frowned and crossed her arms, a look of sudden seriousness on her face. "Let's get something out of the way first!"

Akio was baffled. "Uhh, yes?"

Misaki's eyes seemed to darken now, her expression becoming stiff within seconds. She slowly brought her hand up and pointed straight, straight towards Kyatchi whose eyes widened.

"Wow, great." Kyatchi snorted, a dry chuckle escaping his lips. "Immediately coming after me, huh? Guess I'll stay as a deer in the headlights."

"You're taking this lightly, aren't you?" Misaki said, glaring at the man. "How dare you."

"Doesn't he always take stuff lightly?" Ayako asked, although she was tilting her head in a manner that made her look more innocent than mocking.

"Okay, sure, claim me guilty." Kyatchi groaned. "I would totally be stupid enough to just leave one of my bandannas behind."

Blanchard tapped into his chin. "Master Kyatchi, everyone can be quite incompetent if they try."

Kyatchi raised a brow, baffled. "Uh, that's totally logical right there."

"Why don't we all calm down first?" Akio quickly brought his hands up in an attempt to catch the Ultimates' attention. "Is Kyatchi really our only prime suspect?"

"H-he should have an alibi then," Shinjimae said, a bit more wary than usual. "I-I need to be certain of his i-innocence first…!"

"True…" Akio cupped his chin. "I guess we can get that out of the way first?"

"What a great leader," Yume dryly remarked. "It doesn't matter to me as long as we find the killer… the right one."

Akio scratched his head awkwardly. "Yeah."

"So, what're we talking about?" Tomoyo asked, smiling nervously. "On Kyatchi's behalf?"

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "It's obvious why I'm not the killer, but… ugh, whatever you believe."

Watari grinned. He wondered how long it would take until Kyatchi would be deemed as secondary from everyone's view.

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #002 | Blue Bandanna | Iron Mask | Bloody Apron**

 **Misaki:** It's obvious that Kyatchi's the killer. He had plenty of _**time**_ to plan the murder and the motive to kill Hitomu.

 **Viorel:** And that is because Master Kyatchi ended up hurting Master Hitomu and didn't want to confess his sin?

 **Kyatchi:** Okay, that is literally the _**most stupidest reason ever**_. Why the hell would I kill him because of that?

 **Ayako:** Hm… I mean, you've always _**wanted to die**_ , or so you said.

 **Kyatchi:** I _**could've**_ _**killed myself**_ easily then!

 **Yume:** I doubt Monokuma would allow such a 'murder'.

 **Blanchard:** He is _**twisted**_ in his own way.

 **Akio:** Alright, other than discussing reasons why Kyatchi is the killer, are there any that make him not the killer?

 **Masako:** I'm sorry to say, b-but wouldn't it be _**t-too obvious**_ if Kyatchi was the k-killer?

 **Tomoyo:** True… But does being obvious and does not being obvious really matter? Sometimes _**the most obvious killer is the right one**_ …

 **Shinjimae:** I-I would think t-that… well, W-Watari being with Kyatchi before the murder would be a-an alibi.

 **Kyatchi:** Oh, now you said it. Good god.

 **Akio:** Why couldn't you just say so already anyways?

 **Kyatchi:** What? Because you guys are-! Nevermind.

 **Keishi:** Couldn't he still have plotted the murder though?

 **Tomoyo:** What do you mean?

 **Keishi:** He could've _**planned to murder**_ Hitomu before during our seminar. He wasn't there and had plenty of time to take into account what we were doing and where Hitomu might be.

 **Kyatchi:** What? No, that's stupid.

 **Yume:** And he was stupid enough to leave the bandanna?

 **Misaki:** I mean… accidents do happen, but that bandanna right there is _**critical evidence**_ that points to Kyatchi as the killer!

 **Kyatchi:** Are you fucking with me?

 **Akio:** Hm… Something's not right though.

 **Misaki:** But it's obvious! He's the killer!

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Blue Bandanna-**

 **Tomoyo:** I believe that's wrong!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Tomoyo quickly interrupted Misaki's train of thoughts, waving her hands about in the air. "Wait a second, please, Misaki."

"Hm?" Misaki turned to her friend. "What's wrong?"

The shorter woman cleared her throat, a bit uncomfortable countering her own friend's words. "Well… I do not believe the blue bandanna came from Kyatchi. I think it was placed there as a red herring."

"Ooh!" Watari whistled happily. "Wow, you're a smart cookie."

Tomoyo furrowed her brows, turning to eye the detective. "Wait, did you already know about this?"

"Hm, well, let's see here…" The detective mischievously tilted his head and smiled. "Maybe? I think it should've been obvious though. There's no reason why Kyatchi would drop such important clothing and not notice it, nonetheless have it dropped in that position."

"What does that mean?" Misaki asked, frowning.

The man chuckled playfully. "Obvious answer, but I'll leave it to Moe."

Watari inwardly frowned and subtly threw Monokuma a look. The bear didn't seem to respond to his words at all. A curious observation to note for sure.

"... Okay then." Tomoyo cleared her throat, an attempt to bring order to the court. "I believe the blue bandanna was placed there on purpose to make us pin Kyatchi as the killer."

Yume crossed her arms. "Why do you say that?"

The woman idly played with her fingers, twiddling them about. "Don't you find it strange that the bandanna was there in the first place?"

"Well, Master Kyatchi is a clumsy murderer then." Viorel sneered at the juggler. "And an incompetent one at that."

Blanchard immediately took over the butler's body, shushing the other man. "Viorel, keep your mouth shut!"

Shinjimae looked curiously at Tomoyo. "S-so, what's w-wrong?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Well, let's consider the bandanna's condition in comparison to Hitomu's. Hitomu had been badly injured. There were multiple injuries on him and his body was almost entirely soaked in blood. Just… wouldn't you find it weird that Kyatchi's bandanna at the crime scene was not tainted at all in blood?"

"What?" Masako looked at Tomoyo for a moment before her eyes widened. "R-right! A-ah, pardon my l-loudness, but T-Tomoyo's right. T-the bandanna would've been s-stained with blood if i-it was used during the murder."

"I mean…" Misaki pursed her lips. She was unsure of where to start. "It could've been possible that Kyatchi just took it off."

"I'm sorry, but wouldn't he just remember to get it then afterwards?" Yume threw the woman a baffled look. "If you took it off, then why would he forget it so easily? It's stupid."

"Besides, he would've taken off his other bandanna then," Keishi mused, eyeing the bandannas on Kyatchi's wrists. "It's odd to just take out one bandanna."

Misaki frowned. "... True."

"What if he's just doing that to throw us off though?" Viorel asked, crossing his arms dryly. "Master Kyatchi can be doing that just to make us believe that he's not the murderer because of this 'red herring'."

Kyatchi snorted. "Hmph. Asking the difficult questions huh."

"Wow, you guys are so stupid."

Tomoyo immediately knew who that was, turning her head to Watari. "What do you want?"

"Are you going to finally help us?" Akio asked, glaring at the shorter man.

The detective grinned, amused at everyone's displeasure. He clapped his hands together and sighed. "Well… depends. Do you want my help? Why do I even deserve to help you guys at all? I don't need to help us out. I'm sure you sweethearts are fully capable of handling this case, right~?"

"Oh my god," Kyatchi groaned, "just prove these shitheads that I'm innocent, would you? I feel like I'm dying from a small migraine here."

"Hmm? I don't know what you're talking about," the detective sneered. "If you want to know what's obvious, then remember what happened right before the murder occurred."

Keishi raised a brow. "Before the murder occurred?"

"W-what does that mean?" Shinjimae asked, holding his breath. His grip on Saki was tight. "C-can you p-please just tell us?"

"Aren't you mad at me?" Watari's smile dropped. His eyes seemed to pierce straight into Shinjimae's soul. "If you have to depend on others to save you, nonetheless depend on your own enemy, then what good does it do you?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "I-! B-but I do-... I…"

He slowly went silent. His eyes were casted downwards, body slumped over. Saki was immediately there to comfort him.

 _Hm… Interesting._

Watari inwardly chuckled, then turning to the rest of the group. "Believe me, the reasoning is simple once you think about it. Aw, wait, let me ask this- how many of you actually know Kyatchi's alibi?"

"I know that you and Kyatchi were together," Akio said, answering the man.

"Mhm, simple, simple." The detective wagged his finger about, mockingly. "Then let's get this into account- who did Hitomu last talk to before he was murdered?"

"Who?" Akio frowned. "Well…"

* * *

 **CHOOSE YOUR ANSWER**

Akio 'Blaise' Fukui

Yume Hamasaki

-Hitomu Mizushima-

Ayako Aoki

Blanchard/Viorel Decebel

Tomoyo Ikeda

 **Watari Irino  
**  
Masako Shinohara

Shinjimae 'Shinji' Akahoshi

-Wakana Takane-

Kyatchi Sesshoku

-Kiyoko Yamagiri-

Keishi Kari

Misaki Ueda

 **Akio:** You're the only one!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio frowned, crossing his arms. "It was you, Watari."

Watari smirked at this, nodding his head slowly and teasing, "What a smart cookie. You're obviously right."

"Wait, I don't get it though." Keishi bit into his lips. "Why is that important?"

"Yeah, I don't get it either," Ayako commented, pouting. "Why does that matter?"

Watari sighed, shrugging his shoulders mockingly. "You tell me."

Masako pursed her lips, eyeing the raven sadly. "W-Watari…"

The lolita fashion model groaned, murmuring to herself, "Why are you so difficult?"

"I'm not here to make everything easy," Watari answered, frowning. "I'm only here because I'm here. I didn't choose to be here, dear."

"And neither did we." Tomoyo bit into her lips, almost too harshly at that. She was getting desperate at this point, her breathing heavy. "Can you please just tell us why Kyatchi's innocent? I, uh, I really just want us to not see him as guilty since it just… it's not right."

Watari took a look at the screenwriter for a moment. It was a brief, short moment, but something about how Tomoyo looked at him reminded him of himself.

"... I might." The detective slowly crossed his arms. "I was the last one who messaged Hitomu. I was the one who suggested Kyatchi to go to him in the first place and Hitomu was the one who answered me his location."

Watari then frowned. "That sounds obvious, but you can argue that dear ol' Kyatchi killed Hitomu beforehand. Then what of Hitomu's MonoPad? … That mystery aside, Hitomu's location is what is of most importance here."

Akio raised a brow. "And that is?"

"How was Kyatchi to know that Monokuma ended the seminar early? The dear juggler would've had to make a guess, and a lucky one at that to kill Hitomu without much trouble." Watari smirked at Kyatchi, the taller man eyeing him with what looked like approval. The detective continued. "Kyatchi wasn't there at the seminar, so how was he to know that he couldn't kill Hitomu there? If you want to argue that he snuck into the scene, then let's take into account Monokuma's personality. Aki, dear, can you describe to me what Monokuma's like?"

"Why me…? Oh, whatever." The actor sighed. "Monokuma's just sadistic, though that's obvious given everything that's been happening right now. He'll do anything to ruin anyone."

"Mhm, exactly! Wow, you get a gold star." Watari chuckled as Akio glared at him. "Anyways, if Kyatchi had been eavesdropping in our conversation, then Monokuma would've brought it up."

Yume raised a brow. "How are you so sure about that?"

"Aw, do you not know who I am? I'm working under Monokuma, remember?" Watari didn't dare to mention how Tomoyo eyed him warily. "Besides, dear, if you want confirmation, ask Monokuma himself. I'm sure he's dying to spill you his dirty secrets~"

Everyone turned to look at Monokuma. The bear was sipping into his glass of martini, unaware of everyone's stares before he lowered his glass.

"Wait, you really want my confirmation?" Monokuma was shocked, his eyes blinking rapidly. "Wow, you guys do really like me more than I thought. How cute!"

"Don't get the wrong idea," Misaki began, disgusted, "We just want to see if Ari's right."

"Ari? Huh, that's a cute nickname." The bear snickered. "Alright, so you want to know about me, right?"

Masako bowed her head down. "Y-yes, If you d-don't mind, of course."

Monokuma was more than amused, nodding his head. "Yes, I'll tell you! Ahem, so, about me… well, first off, I am an only child and I don't know who my parents are. I-"

"Stop, stop, stop!" Ayako quickly waved her hands about. "Please just tell us information regarding what we're talking about, please!"

"What?! Aw, you're such a bore." The bear reeled his head back, groaning. "Fine, I'll tell you. If Kya was there, then let's say, well… I would've been much more happier telling the news. It would've been so much fun to scare you all by using Kya as the scapegoat."

Misaki's eyes widened. "So, you're saying that…?"

"Yeah, no shit." Kyatchi scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I didn't eavesdrop into your cute seminar. I stayed inside my room the entire time."

"W-What if Monokuma's lying though?" Masako asked. "H-he might…"

"Oh my god." Monokuma groaned. "Should I fucking show you the security footage? Dear, I can show you everything Kyatchi was doing if you want me to during the time of the seminar."

The survivalist's eyes widened. She was unsure of what to do. "Uh…"

Tomoyo shook her head. "Clearly, if Monokuma's that's willing to show us the footage, then Kyatchi isn't guilty."

"Aww, aren't you the sweetest." Watari smirked dryly. He then stopped and shrugged his shoulders. "But, it's a good point. Monokuma wouldn't have even answered us either way if Kyatchi was guilty or not. He wouldn't have resorted to talking about the footage since he knew you would either believe him… or, dearies, will not believe him and tell him to show it."

Yume frowned. "I mean…"

"Trust in the me who is a traitor and not a detective." Watari threw his arms out. "Trust in the me whom you know is an enemy and knows every single one of Monokuma's actions, and not the one who will play detective and assume everything for the sake of benefiting you all."

"I…" The nihilist pursed her lips. Her brows were furrowed. "I honestly don't understand you."

The detective gasped. "You wound me!"

"Okay, all we can get out of this is that I'm not guilty." Kyatchi raised his hands up. "Can we just ignore me for a fucking minute and not accuse me? Thanks, you whores."

Misaki was hesitant. She looked at the juggler for a moment, silent. She was on the verge of throwing a fit before she stopped herself, instead saying, "For now, at least."

The juggler rolled his eyes. "That's all I ever asked of."

"Then what should we discuss?" Akio's face hardened. "I suggest we talk about how Hitomu and his cats were murdered."

Ayako pursed her lips. "I mean… isn't that a bit obvious though?"

The actor shook his head. "By how they were murdered I do not mean what was already said in the file. It's more so that how the whole murder went down."

"Fine with me~" Watari answered, snickering. "There's no exact procedure of how this trial should go, right?"

Kyatchi scoffed dryly. "Nope."

"Alright then." Misaki bit into her lips. "Let's just discuss how… Hitomu and his cats were murdered then."

Watari clapped his hands together, feigning happiness. "Let's go then~"

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Misaki's Alibi | White and Black Fur | Iron Mask | Bloody Apron**

 **Akio:** So, Hitomu was killed around _**3 o'clock**_ …

 **Tomoyo:** He was killed in the _**woodwork place**_ as well.

 **Yume:** I mean, those statements you guys made were too obvious.

 **Akio:** Well, I mean- … Yeah, good point.

 **Keishi:** Hm… Er, I'm assuming _**Hitomu died first**_.

 **Shinjimae:** I-I wouldn't think his cats w-weren't there to just watch him b-be murdered though… I-I know they wouldn't.

 **Masako:** A-ah, yes, that is true.

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph. But if you can't prove he died first or last, then why bother talking about it now?

 **Shinjimae:** I-I was just saying…

 **Ayako:** Hitomu was basically _**crucified**_ , right? That position of his looked really eerie.

 **Misaki:** To the sacrifice of _**Jesus Christ**_. The killer was definitely mocking Hitomu!

 **Blanchard:** Please calm down, Master Misaki. It is not good to yell.

 **Misaki:** I know.

 **Viorel:** Hey, but what… Well, the topic switching over to how Master Hitomu died, is the _**arrangement of his body**_ _**intentional**_?

 **Watari:** Dear, how is it not intentional?

 **Viorel:** I'm just bringing up an assumption. Don't go hardass on me- Ow! Stupid Blanchard!

 **Shinjimae:** L-like how he was nailed? W-which hand or foot was nailed first…

 **Tomoyo:** Ah, Shinji, please don't think about it too much. You _**look really pale**_.

 **Shinjimae:** Sorry… J-just don't worry about me.

 **Yume:** Why does it matter though? I don't think it really matters if his feet or hands were nailed to the cross first.

 **Watari:** And my dearies are playing fools again. It's obvious that it does matter whether his feet or hands were nailed first. It could hint at a potential scrummage, leading to either the killer being injured or the **[extra dousing of blood]** on our cat baby's poor limb.

 **Watari:** What, haven't thought that far ahead?

 **Ayako:** Watari…

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph. How are you guys gonna even tell which limbs was stabbed first or some shit? _**It's impossible**_.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: "...extra dousing of blood…"-**

 **Misaki:** With a simple diagnosis, I can conclude that is wrong!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Misaki smiled triumphantly as she held her chin up high. "You can trust in me! I assure you that I know everything there is to bodies!"

"And if that wasn't creepy," the juggler snorted, smirking dryly.

"Right!" Watari clapped his hands together, a warm smile on his face. It was an obviously superficial one however, for his eyes were glinting in malice. "I totally forgot we had a surgeon in this courtroom! Please, my dear Misa, give us your dialysis."

The surgeon looked at the detective with an awkward, slightly baffled look, but nodded her head and began, "To put it simply, Hitomu's right hand was the one that was nailed into first. Like Ari had implied during his little tangent, yes, Hitomu's right hand was bleeding much more extensively than his other limbs."

"Really?" Tomoyo frowned. "Is that so- wait, Ari?"

"What a cute nickname," Kyatchi teased, grinning at Watari who rolled his eyes. "It just makes you want to embrace death more, huh?"

The detective shrugged, however tilted his head in a sly manner and smirked back at the juggler, sneering, "Whatever floats your boat."

"I-I guess…" Ayako trembled a little. "Thinking about blood makes me want to puke, b-but… what if that's not true though? Should we really listen to Misaki so easily?"

Yume chuckled dryly. "Good point. Anyone can be a murderer, after all."

"What?" Misaki's eyes widened. "Why would I lie?"

"To save face." Viorel crossed his arms. "No one would suspect you so easily since you're a close friend to Master Hitomu. You could've simply faked it."

"I would never!" The surgeon gasped, greatly offended. "You're spewing nonsense!"

"I mean, I understand that," Keishi began, hesitant in what he was saying, "But the same thing could apply to you."

Viorel scoffed. "What, because Blanchard and I aided Master Kiyoko in a crime?"

Blanchard revealed himself in the spot. "It was our duty. There is nothing wrong with what we've done."

"T-that was murder!" Masako pounded her fists into the table, however her tone was as frightened and meek as ever. "H-how could you say something like that…?"

"But that was all in the past!" Ayako quickly tried to get herself out of the equation. "Can we just focus on this murder, please?"

"Who knows?" Yume shrugged. "Reputation is hard to break. Habits die hard."

The fashion model gritted her teeth. "How is murdering a habit?!"

"Can you all just shut up?" Akio glared at the group. His expression was cold and frustrated. "We're focusing on Misaki's testimony and Hitomu's corpse right now. Let's not argue in the middle of it."

"Y-yeah!" Tomoyo quickly nodded her head. "Please, let's all just calm down!"

Kyatchi waved his hand to and fro. "Yeah, yeah, but accusing others is inevitable." He then stopped to grin wryly. "You all accused me first, so why not accuse each other now?"

"I-I rather not," Masako admitted, slightly taken aback by the harshness of the juggler's words.

"What a salty one," Watari teased. "It's inevitable anyways."

Kyatchi sighed. "True, true."

"A-anyways, er, Misaki was s-saying that Hitomu's right hand was t-the one that was nailed first." Shinjimae was eyeing the group awkwardly. He definitely was not used to speaking his own mind in such an intense atmosphere, sweat trickling down his face. "I-I feel like we should t-trust that now. D-doesn't it feel weird if H-Hitomu's… well, i-if his foot was stabbed first? H-Hitomu could've easily used his hands to r-r-retaliate…"

Akio's eyes widened. He cupped his chin now in thought, murmuring, "Hm. Good point."

"Misaki's close to Hitomu too," Tomoyo argued, frowning. "It would've been too obvious for her to have played a role in the crime scene."

Yume raised a brow. "Can't you argue the opposite though?"

"Ooh, yeah, I know now." Kyatchi grinned. "Tomoyo's friends with Misaki, and she's defending her because she knows that Misaki's guilty and helped her murder Hitomu!"

"W-what?!" Tomoyo's face paled. She quickly shook her head. "That's wrong!"

The juggler raised a brow. "Then where's the proof?"

Tomoyo gritted her teeth.

* * *

 **[PRESENT THE EVIDENCE]**

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Misaki's Alibi-**

 **Tomoyo:** _I'll prove you wrong with this!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"I was with Misaki the entire time during the murder. I went to the cafeteria to eat a snack with her right after the seminar ended!" Tomoyo's lips were pursed. Her expression was hardened, nose scrunched up and her bangs almost swaying down to cover her eyes. "I was not near the murder and neither was Misaki!"

Kyatchi raised a brow. "Don't you two usually go out with Masako though?"

The screenwriter shook her head. "Of course not."

"Wait, really?" The juggler frowned. "Why?"

"Huh? Oh, right, you weren't at the seminar so you wouldn't know much about the outcome." Tomoyo awkwardly smiled. "Sorry about that. Er, Masako was feeling a bit anxious when Monokuma came in and announced that a murderer was in the run, so she went to her room to hide."

Masako blushed, embarrassed. "I-I do greatly regret to tell you that t-this is true. Sorry."

"Why would you be sorry?" Misaki eyed the survivalist with a wide grin. "It's a human reaction. You can't change what humans' natural instinct are."

"Have you heard of a thing called conditioning?" Watari smirked dryly. "If you condition a human long enough, then slowly that independence of theirs that makes them special will die out."

"You're such a sourpuss," Akio groaned.

"I'm guessing we won't accuse Misaki or Tomoyo further?" Ayako tilted her head, bewildered. "Then what about Masako? She could've left her room, right?"

"Good point." Keishi frowned. "That is something to consider."

"Doesn't that mean she doesn't have an alibi though?" Viorel chuckled. "Master Masako doesn't have an alibi since she was in her room the whole time. Who knows when she's gotten out or not?"

Akio frowned, looking around the room. "Well, has anyone seen her ever since the seminar ended?"

No one answered.

"A terribly sad answer~" Watari teased, amused at everyone's discretion. "But, from me, a detective, to you all, wouldn't it be better to discuss the events of what happened to Hitomu and his cats than to accuse more and more people so endlessly?"

"I don't know about that." Viorel eyed the detective with a small grin. "You seem to enjoy this."

Ayako groaned. "Of course he's enjoying it."

"But don't I make a good point?" The detective mused at the group, hands stretched out. It was as if he wanted to embrace the group right here and there. "How long will it take before the killer is found? If the killer does not have any evidence turned at them, then they'll be assured we won't have the case figured out and can relax."

Keishi was displeased, face slightly twisted in bitterness. "You don't even care about Hitomu and his cats though."

"Oh, really?" Watari's smirk darkened. "Is that truly the case, honey?"

"Are you saying you do care?" The juggler grinned. "Wow, what a shocker."

"Dear, I am a detective for a reason." Watari chuckled darkly, staring deeply into Kyatchi's eyes. It was a malicious look, one that signified danger. "Don't assume my personality just because I am a traitor. Your definition of 'caring' is different from mine."

"You'd rather be a traitor than to help us though," Akio retorted. "You're confusing me."

"Let's just ignore this then." The detective easily shooed the actor's words away. He was now turned to the group, focusing on them as a whole entity, not as individuals. "Why don't you all discuss the evidence laid out in front of you?"

"Laid out in front of us?" Blanchard curiously crossed his arms. "And what do you propose?"

"Why, what was obviously the ones the killer used in the murder~" Watari smiled, a mocking one that looked angelic and pure. "The halfheartedly made cross, the nails, the equipment… why, just about anything that has blood on them!"

Shinjimae trembled, biting into his lips. His grip on Saki was tight. "Y-you…"

"What, don't like how I treat murder cases?" The raven smirked, staring into Shinjimae's doe eyes. His smirk, however, turned upside down as he darkly began, "If you don't like what I'm doing, then why don't you actually try to solve this case?"

The animal whisperer's eyes widened. "I-I…!"

"Aww, sorry, was I being too scary there?" Watari clapped his hands, giggling. "Sorry about that, Shinji~"

"Y-you…" Shinjimae slowly dropped his head. "Y-you don't even know…"

The detective was silent, observing the taller man's movements. He silently thought to himself, attention drawn to the animal whisperer's facial expression and fearful tone.

"You're such a jerk," Yume commented, shaking her head. "I mean, I really don't care, but Hitomu was really close to Shinji."

"He's always like that." Akio crossed his arms. He was glaring at the detective. "I shouldn't even be surprised anymore."

Watari sighed. He closed an eye and mockingly tilted his head. "Well, I'm sorry about that. I'll be silent. Feel free to discuss the murder without me."

Masako sweated. "Uh… I-I suppose so?"

"We don't have time to waste!" Ayako puffed her cheeks out. "We're wasting time here! Let's just discuss what Watari said before."

Keishi raised a brow. "On what we saw?"

"I am assuming it as so," Blanchard answered. "I will do whatever pleases everyone."

Misaki threw her hands up, expression full of determination and excitement. "Let's do it then!"

"Yeah… I'm fine with that." Tomoyo crossed her arms, concentrated in her look. "It's a good way to reveal what happened so far, and find any loopholes."

"Y-yes." Shinjimae meekly smiled. "L-let's do that then, p-please."

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: White and Black Fur | Iron Mask | Bloody Apron | Soundproof Walls**

 **Keishi:** So, what have we found at the crime scene so far?

 **Kyatchi:** Pfft. The _**blue bandanna**_ of course.

 **Misaki:** H-hey! I said I was sorry about that!

 **Akio:** Let's just ignore that for now. Would it be wise to discuss what the killer had with them at the time of the murder?

 **Kyatchi:** Okay, so not the blue bandanna.

 **Ayako:** Kyatchi!

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph.

 **Tomoyo:** Er… So, about what was with the killer during the time of the murder… Isn't that _**everything**_?

 **Blanchard:** Not necessarily, Master Tomoyo.

 **Viorel:** Yeah. I think what was used at the crime scene is a bit too obvious given what the Case File said and, er, Master Hitomu's corpse.

 **Misaki:** His poor cats were mutilated too…

 **Shinjimae:** Urm, I-I know the murder weapon would b-be the block of wood and the nails… right?

 **Tomoyo:** Yes, I believe so.

 **Masako:** Ah, excuse me, b-but now that I think about it, w-wouldn't the murderer be _**covered in blood**_ if they used s-such a method?

 **Yume:** What're you implying? Of course a murder is bloody.

 **Masako:** Y-yes, but what I mean by that i-is that if the killer was nailing Hitomu's limbs and had smashed his head in, n-nonetheless ripped his stomach up… T-they would be bloody themselves.

 **Keishi:** That does make sense.

 **Blanchard:** I suppose that is quite the shocking theory. No one here seemed covered in blood.

 **Kyatchi:** Are you guys stupid?

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Bloody Apron-**

 **Kyatchi:** You guys are fucking blind!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"Wait, wait, wait a goddamn second there." Kyatchi was staring straight into Masako's eyes, a bemused smile on his face. "Tell me if I'm just hallucinating or some shit, but don't we have an obvious counterargument against what you're saying?"

"Er… Y-you mean the apron?" Masako smiled timidly, slightly scared from the man's sudden fixated look on her. "I-I was wondering if Monokuma could've lied to us somehow. Red doesn't necessarily mean b-blood."

"I mean, I get that. Monokuma's not exactly an angel nor my sweet, sweet Satan," the juggler began, "but I find that stupid. Why would Monokuma be so angelic enough to help a murderer?"

"Hey, don't be so rude to Masako. At least she's trying." Misaki crossed her arms, annoyed at the survivalist's leisure. "We should at least take her idea into consideration."

"Uh, nope, I am not going to do that." Kyatchi grinned dryly. "I'm not here to say it's because I want you all to live because honestly I couldn't care less, but it just pisses me off to know how biased everyone is towards each other."

The surgeon bit into her lips. She felt great offense in what the man said. "Excuse me, but how am I biased?"

Kyatchi laughed. "I mean, obviously, because Masako's your friend and I'm not? Actually, hell, I think everyone's biased towards me. I really wouldn't say anything about it since I only care about death anyways, but that point Masako made shouldn't even be made."

"I-I'm sorry if I made you feel that way," Masako began, quickly trying to shift the juggler's attention to the trial, "but I-I would like an explanation to counter my theory."

"Do I really need to?" Kyatchi frowned. "It's bullshit, even more than the so-called Gods reigning down their act of 'worldwide love and peace' to us."

"Kyatchi." Tomoyo was eyeing the man, worry overwhelming her entire face. She couldn't necessarily meet the juggler's face though, his harsh expression causing her to hesitate. "Er, please just tell us your reasoning."

"... Fine." The man groaned. He tugged at his bandannas and turned his focus away from anyone. "Remember what Mr. Sherlock did to prove my obvious innocence?"

Keishi raised a brow. "He had Monokuma cover for you."

"Not cover, prove." Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I'd probably understand if you were accusing Watari and had Monokuma cover for him, but not so much with my case. Why would Monokuma be a fucking sane person and prove my innocence?"

Ayako tilted her head. "Because Watari told him to?"

"Like Monokuma had to listen to him? Watari may be a traitor, but does Monokuma really get anything out of that little shota bait?" Kyatchi inwardly smirked as he noticed the displeased look on Watari's face. "Okay, and even if he does get anything out of it, what would helping me do?"

"So, you're using Ari and Monokuma's relationship to prove Masako wrong?" Misaki eyed Kyatchi curiously, genuinely baffled.

"They aren't lovers or anything, so don't worry," the juggler mused. "What I'm obviously trying to say is that if Monokuma was willing to prove my innocence out of his own free will, then why would he turn into a bitch and obviously mess up the truth bullets? That's contradictory in itself."

"I mean, Monokuma's crazy." Yume shrugged. "He could honestly do anything he wanted."

"I-I suppose that does make sense a little," Shinjimae was heard muttering to himself. He was cupping his chin in deep thought.

"Oh!" Akio clapped his hands together. "I understand now. If Monokuma wanted to be as fair as possible to give us all a chance to survive in this 'killing game', then he wouldn't need to manipulate data. If he did, he'd be unfair."

Ayako was baffled. "Wait, what?"

"I think what he is saying is that the killing game is supposed to give Monokuma a kick, a supposed phase of ecstasy." Blanchard sounded as deadpan and stoic as ever, even despite the intentions. "In order to achieve that full sense of ecstasy from how we will all fail and struggle to even solve a non-manipulated trial, Monokuma has to make sure the game is not foul play."

Akio laughed nervously, sweating. "I like how you're saying that without even feeling the tiniest bit creeped out…"

"That's basically what I was saying." Kyatchi whistled. "Good job."

"The gist of that is, the truth bullet titled 'Bloody Apron' cannot be worded incorrectly." Keishi bit into his lips. "I see."

"I-it does make sense once I think about it." Masako nodded slowly, smiling meekly. "Thank you for your r-reasoning."

Kyatchi rolled his eyes and said nothing.

Akio crossed his arms, focus now turned back to the entire group at hand. "Hm, so we have gotten that out of the way, but I do have a question."

"I do have one as well." Yume raised her hand.

"Oh?" The brunette was intrigued. "What's up, Yume?"

"Since we're discussing what the killer wore during the murder, I've been wondering about the iron mask as well." Yume took a moment to stretch out her arms. They looked as snow white and pale as ever. "Do you think that the iron mask can fit only a handful of people?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "O-oh! Erm, i-it's similar to what w-we talked about during the e-event, huh?"

"Ooh, so now you all want to discuss that."

Everyone's attention was disrupted by Watari's voice. Their heads were turned to him.

Viorel snorted. "What, did you already check for us?"

Watari clapped his hands together and nodded. "Mhm, of course. Aren't I such a good friend?"

"I thought you didn't want to help us," Keishi said, eyeing the shorter man curiously.

"Aww, that was a joke, dear. Can't you tell a simple joke from an insult?" The detective laughed. "Anyways, since you were all busy discussing about the bloody apron, I took the time to play around with the simulator and see who fits and doesn't fit the iron mask."

"Really?" Tomoyo almost leaned forward, almost bumping her forehead into her desktop. "Can you tell us?"

"Hm…" Watari was eyeing the screenwriter for a moment, then shaking his head. "No, I don't feel like it."

"Wait, why?" Misaki frowned. "Are you joking with us again?"

"Maybe, maybe not!" The detective clapped his hands again, a childish excitement glowing in his eyes. "Rather than being a bore and giving you a verbal list of who can fit it and who can not, let's stimulate a couple scenarios and have you guess!"

Ayako gulped. "Has he gone mad?"

"Honestly, I think this is normal for him." Yume smirked dryly.

Watari inwardly sighed and took a quick moment to glance around the room. Observing for anything suspicious in movement or expression, the detective found nothing of the like.

 _Okay, that was a dead end._

"Let's stimulate a few." Watari began toying with his desktop, hovering his mouse over to where the play button was. "I'll compare Moe to Decebel, if that's alright."

Tomoyo blushed slightly. "W-why me?"

"Ah, don't worry about that, dear. Rather be equal in gender while different in body structure and height." The detective shrugged. "Then again, only your heads matter in this case."

The screenwriter looked a bit embarrassed by this, but composed herself and nodded. "Alright then."

"So, what do you think?" Watari asked. "Will it fit you?"

Tomoyo was unsure of what to say. "I… I guess?"

Watari chuckled and clicked the button.

* * *

 **STIMULATION**

Tomoyo wondered if such a strange design would fit her. She was eyeing an iron mask which was laid on the floor, right in the middle of the wood shop. It was shiny, obviously metallic. She took ahold of it, feeling the coldness of the metal. She looked around the room- left and right. Seeing no one in sight, she easily put the iron mask around her, strapping it securely. The woman smiled as it fit her perfectly.

 **Theory: [PROVEN RIGHT]**

* * *

Watari was amused, watching the stimulator end its short scenario. He looked over to Tomoyo. "You're correct, dear."

"Y-yeah." Tomoyo awkwardly smiled, unsure whether she should be happy or not with this outcome. "Uh…"

The detective chuckled. "What, did you want to be proven wrong?"

"I don't know," the woman admitted, a bit awkward in her tone. "I guess I find it strange you'd use me as an example. Couldn't you have used yourself?"

"Nope~" Watari giggled. "Anyways, Decebel dear, your turn. What's your theory?"

Blanchard thought to himself. "Hm, what do you think, Viorel?"

"God, why do you need to ask me?" Viorel rolled his eyes. "But, well, I guess it'll work?"

"I see." Blanchard looked over to Watari. "Then we will both come to the answer that it'll work."

"Alright then~" Watari nodded as he fixed a few settings in the stimulation. Seeing that it was ready, he hovered his mouse over to the button.

And there he clicked it.

* * *

 **STIMULATION**

Decebel looked around the room. There was nobody in sight. Only the butler was there, alone to do whatever they pleased. Eyeing the mask on display, the butler decided to grab ahold of it and put it on their face. It seemed to fit around them perfectly.

 **Theory: [PROVEN RIGHT]**

* * *

Viorel watched the stimulation curiously, fixated until the scenario was frozen at a fixed point. He slowly brought his head up to eye his peers. "Huh, interesting."

"And there we go!" Watari grinned happily. "This proves that it fits anyone."

"Uh, really?" Akio raised a brow. "Can you at least list them out?"

"You really want me to? Ugh, fine." The detective sighed, crossing his arms. "Everyone can fit easily into the iron mask. The mask is suited for just about anyone to wear, as long as you're not an infant."

Yume eyed the raven suspiciously. "Are you lying?"

"If you think I am, test the stimulator out for yourself." Watari rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to stimulate everyone, honey. Besides, the mask's straps were adjustable."

"Ah, I see." Keishi cupped his chin. He was thinking on the shorter man's words. "So, to put it shortly, it can fit anyone…"

"Well, that really didn't help us solve anything." Misaki sighed, though she was smiling awkwardly in the process. "Though I guess it does mean that the murderer could be anyone here. It doesn't matter what we look like in terms of build."

Shinjimae smiled softly. "P-progress is progress."

Masako nodded. "Mhm, a-at least we know that now so w-we don't waste our time over it later."

Akio sighed, but decided not to say anything further about the stimulation and change the topic. "Alright, with that out of the way, we should start discussing the topic of time in more depth."

Keishi raised a brow. "Regarding whether the cats died first or last?"

"Is that even important?" Yume asked.

"Mhm." The actor frowned. "It may just be a small detail, but I think it's good to go over everything we're unsure of."

"Good point." Tomoyo nodded her head slowly, expression hardening out of concentration on the idea. "Hm…"

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: White and Black Fur | Piece of Carbon Fiber | Soundproof Walls | Decebel's Testimony**

 **Misaki:** So, what're the reasons for both cases then?

 **Shinjimae:** U-urm, I do h-have one…

 **Keishi:** What is it?

 **Shinjimae:** I-I think I mentioned this b-before, but, erm, Kazue and Reiji b-both loved Hitomu very much. F-for them to die last meant they _**fought with the k-killer**_.

 **Tomoyo:** If that's the case though, the killer's been injured.

 **Misaki:** Ooh! Should we do a _**body search**_ then?!

 **Yume:** Ha, no.

 **Ayako:** Uh, but what they _**didn't fight**_?

 **Shinjimae:** Urm… I'm guessing t-they were _**petrified**_ then?

 **Blanchard:** It seems like we're _**only making assumptions**_ so far.

 **Kyatchi:** We suck at this.

 **Akio:** We should also take into account that Kazue and Reiji _**always stayed near**_ Hitomu's body.

 **Tomoyo:** … Right, I wouldn't be surprised if they were around Hitomu's neck or cuddling in his arms then during that time.

 **Ayako:** So the cats were _**on Hitomu during the murder**_?

 **Akio:** It sounds likely.

 **Blanchard:** Ah, the poor cats.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: White and Black Fur-**

 **Masako:** I-I believe that's not true!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Masako blushed slightly as everyone's heads were suddenly turned at her. She averted her gaze quickly as she began, "I-I have to admit that I think that's w-wrong, Ayako."

Ayako frowned. "Really? Why?"

"Well…" The survivalist gulped, nervous. "J-judging from the truth bullets we have, I-I think that the one about the f-fur on Hitomu's hand implies your assumption wrong."

"Uh, really?" The fashion model was genuinely baffled. "Can you explain it to me for a bit more, please?"

"Y-yes, of course." Masako shyly smiled. "Well, i-if Kazue and Reiji were with Hitomu when he was struck, h-his hand wouldn't have looked as though h-he had ripped out his pets' fur. A-also, it could've been p-possible that the killer r-ripped the cats away from Hitomu and h-he tried to get them back before he was struck."

Ayako's eyes widened. "So the killer stopped Hitomu from saving Kazue and Reiji?"

"T-that's what I believe," Masako answered, slowly bobbing her head up and down. "I-I think that Hitomu had either tried to save them a-after they were being pried away. I-if they were with him during the entire time of his murder, H-Hitomu's body would've been much more covered with f-fur and h-his hand wouldn't have gripped so much of it."

"That is a good point," Watari began, chuckling, "but wouldn't it also make sense that the killer was the one who had that fur with them?"

"H-huh?" Masako's eyes widened.

The detective grinned. "Fur clings to people's clothes very easily, but that does apply to their hair and skin as well, to an extent. If the killer was the one who was mutilating the poor sweeties, then isn't it obvious they would have some fur on them?"

The survivalist bit into her lips. "Well…"

"They were wearing the apron and mask though," Tomoyo retorted, biting softly into her lips. "I also don't think fur sticks onto skin that well."

Watari chuckled. "Then what about hair?"

"Hair?" Tomoyo thought for a moment, thinking to herself. A few seconds passed before her eyes widened. "O-oh!"

"Huh?" Ayako tilted her head. "What happened?"

"It seems like she knows something," Watari mused. "I do wonder what it is~"

"W-what is it?" Shinjimae asked, leaning forward over to Tomoyo. His tone was shaky, almost shaking out of excitement and exasperation. "W-what did you f-find?"

Tomoyo held her breath. "Well, er, it's concerning about our hair length and height. Given what Watari said, if the killer did have fur stuck on them, ignoring the apron and mask, I believe there still could've been a chance for the people who have longer hair to have a few fur strands stick to them."

"Well, now, isn't that unfair." Kyatchi snorted. "You're telling me that the girls are the innocent ones then?"

"Huh? No, not really." Tomoyo awkwardly smiled. "My hair isn't that long, well, since it's a bob… The mask would've hidden most of my hair, and I doubt if I was the killer I really wouldn't say much."

"My hair's tied up," Misaki mused, pointing to her high ponytail. "Whether it's long or not depends on you though, I guess."

"Yume would be innocent then," Akio pointed out, looking over to the woman. "Her hair's really long."

"I just don't like cutting it," the nihilist murmured.

"Aya here too!" Ayako raised her hands up excitedly. "My hair reaches down to my chest, after all!"

"Wow, how sad," Kyatchi snorted.

"I-I do have my hair tied in a ponytail," Masako admitted, "B-but I don't know if that counts?"

"Sadly, us guys don't seem to have long hair." Kyatchi chuckled. "Then again, couldn't the killer have brushed the fur away?"

"They wouldn't have noticed it unless they were that meticulous," the screenwriter replied. "Then again, there's a chance they would've missed it."

"Well, that takes off me and Yume then!" Ayako smiled happily. "I hope you guys can be cleared of suspicion too."

"She looks so happy," Keishi muttered quietly. "Hm…"

"If you want, you can check all of our hair then," Yume suggested, sighing. "I really don't care. Do whatever you like."

Akio facepalmed. "I think it's fine. Let's worry about that till we get there."

"Er… alright then." Tomoyo wasn't sure if it was her fault or not. "I… I guess we can get to a different topic?"

"Sure, since the number of suspects wouldn't really change just because of what Master Watari implied." Viorel then smirked as he looked at the detective. "I don't doubt that he was trying to give everyone some useless information."

"Useless?" Watari chuckled. "On the contrary. I was only implying this in order to gauge your reactions. If you looked around to see who was worried and who wasn't, then you'd know."

"I-I mean…" Masako awkwardly laughed. "I guess…"

Misaki frowned as she cupped her chin. "But what should we talk about then? If we have the gist of what happened to Hitomu and his cats, then we need to talk about a lot of other things."

Keishi raised a hand. "I think that in order to do that, first we need to talk about what happened to everyone at the time the murder was happening and the time beforehand."

Tomoyo raised a brow. "So, our alibis and testimonies."

"I'm fine with that," Akio answered, smiling. "It would do us well to see what everyone was doing at the time of the murder."

Watari grinned. "But, other than that, I have something else to add in."

Kyatchi tilted his head. "What?"

"Wait, don't listen to him." The actor glared into the detective's eyes. "He's probably going to stall our time again."

"Aw, no, of course not." The detective chuckled darkly. "Please hear me out, dearies."

Akio and the others looked at one another.

Watari took the time to gauge their reactions.

Akio was more than disgusted to look at him. Blanchard was busy whispering to himself, possibly speaking to Viorel. Kyatchi was more than simply idle, yawning and stretching his arms out. Keishi was definitely one who looked out for Shinjimae, the animal whisperer himself looking more than just worried.

Ayako seemed perky, though that was probably a given since her innocence seemed to be a guarantee. Yume had her eyes closed, desiring the darkness of sleep at this point. Misaki was pondering, thinking in deep concentration. Masako was, on the other hand worried, and Tomoyo was eyeing Watari with a steady gaze.

Watari bit into his lips, holding back the urge to sigh.

 _Hopefully what I'll say will earn some sort of reaction. Shit, are they that sure they won't get caught?_

The detective held his breath.

 _What am I missing? Why can't I figure this out?_

 _Shit, no, don't start thinking like that again. You already promised yourself not to be so overly emotional. It'll just cause another incident-_

 _Yeah, I'll calm down. I'll just say what I need to say and let Moe or Aki take over._

Watari clapped his hands together, and was more than ready to announce his statement.

* * *

 **CLASS TRIAL POSTPONED**

 **Survivors: 11/14**

* * *

I don't have much to say other than I'll see you all next time~ Please do leave your thoughts with me so I can cry over how you're all right, hehe.

Oh, and other than that, I do want to make a small announcement- I will be hosting my third SYOC **The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance**! The deadline will be around 2020, so you all have a lot of time to submit a character if you do desire so!

And other than that, I'll see you all next time!


	19. Chapter 2 - Part 2, Part C

Hello, and I am finally back here with another chapter! I hope it hasn't been that long of a wait, hehe.

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Yes, aren't you glad?! Yes, I know right? You provide me with good input, hehe. Kyatchi will be our favorite cynical, death-seeker boy. We will stan him. Akio and Watari have a rivalry, yes. Mwahahaha. Have a nice day too!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "And yet again, I have lost the race. I will never be happy to be in a trial. I don't want to die, after all! Watari loves to mess with people, but surely everyone is going to get annoyed with him sooner or later. Poor Kyatchi. Hehe, hopefully I will be able to give a lot of characters some more screen time. I need work balancing that out. Back and forth stuff are my favorite, especially your story, wink wink. Watari prefers certain things and doing certain stuff, hehe. Interesting choice of suspects! I do wonder if you're right with any of them. Well, you'll have to thank zephryr and PokePersona for that since they helped me plan a bit about this case. I go solo on Disparity, so there's only one stupid brain there which is mine, hehe."

* * *

 **CLASS TRIAL IN SESSION!**

 **ALL RISE!**

* * *

Watari grinned, eyeing the Ultimates. They were all looking at him, anxious to hear what he had to say. It was amusing, really. The detective clapped his hands together, clearing his throat. "Alright, so here's my announcement!"

The raven clapped his hands a few more times, almost egging on the others to follow. They didn't, however, and Watari was left to continue. "What I want to bring up is this— is there any purpose behind how Hitomu's body was arranged?"

"Huh?" Tomoyo raised a brow, confused. "What do you mean by that?"

Watari chuckled. "Whoever killed Hitomu was definitely brutal. You would've expected that such a gruesome murder wouldn't happen, but it did. You would think that Kiyoko was a mere murderer with a quite insane streak, but she's dead and yet we have another corpse that is… well, oddly symbolic, if I had to say."

Ayako pursed her lips, tilting her head in pondering. "That's… hm… huh, I never thought about that."

"Right?" The detective sneered. "If we thought that how Wakana's body was arranged was a one-time occurence, then isn't it strange we had another corpse that's quite symbolic? There seems to be a pattern here, huh~"

"Yeah…" Akio cupped his chin, lips curved into a disgruntled frown. "But, the killers are different… Kiyoko's already dead."

Tomoyo awkwardly smiled at that, then shaking her head. "I-I don't think that's of huge importance right now. Er, we still don't know who could've done it. We crossed off a few people from the list, but there are still a lot of other people who could be guilty."

"I-it does make you want to wonder though…" Shinjimae averted his gaze, melancholic. "H-Hitomu's body… Wakana's…"

"I assure you I am not guilty of anything." Kyatchi immediately raised his hands up, feigning a defensive stance. "If you want to blame someone for the hundredth time in a row, it better not be me."

Misaki shook her head. "I assure you we won't."

"I totally trust that," the juggler snorted, rolling his eyes. "But whatever."

"I still think it is fair to discuss about why Hitomu's body was arranged in such a manner," Watari began, "but it's fine. It is important to discuss about who could've done it. It's just… well, guess I won't say anything further."

"What?" Keishi frowned. "Did you have a reason for talking about the arrangement?"

The detective simply smiled. He rather not share such information now. However, rather than not share because of its importance, it was rather because he disliked the people around him.

"Well…" Akio sighed. "I suppose we should talk about the things we glossed over concerning the murder."

"I mean, we know the basics of what happened." Yume frowned, raising a brow. "Hitomu's head was smashed in and then he was crucified, then had his stomach ripped out. His cats were mutilated. What are we missing?"

Blanchard bowed his head down. "I do think what we are missing is the crucial piece of evidence called the carbon fiber."

"T-the fiber?" Masako's eyes widened. "Ah… right, that. I unfortunately do not know where it could have come from…"

Watari bit into his lips. _Me neither, but I can't tell them that. I don't want the killer to feel safe if I don't know it. I won't let them know._

"But if we don't know anything about the carbon fiber, then can we really discuss it?" Tomoyo threw a worried look at Akio. "If we don't know anything about where it could've come from or its purpose, then…"

"Yeah, I know." The actor pursed his lips. "I guess I should forget about that. We can talk about something else then."

The detective bit into his lips. He felt heat rising in his chest, and he knew the exact reason why he was beginning to grow frustrated-

-because he didn't know anything, and the belief of his skills as a detective were weakening once again.

Viorel crossed his arms, grinning dryly. "So, we could talk about the suspects then."

"What, do you have a list or something?" Kyatchi chuckled as he noticed the excitement hidden behind Viorel's eyes. "I better not be in it."

"Of course not. We already proved you were innocent anyways." The butler rolled his eyes. "But, sadly, I cannot speak unless Blanchard consent to it. He tends to be really strict on what I say."

Blanchard immediately took over, shaking his head. "That is because you are foul-mouthed."

"Hey!" Viorel's face became red. "Can you stop forcing yourself to take over-"

"No, I will not." Blanchard sighed. He took a look at the group of Ultimates and immediately bowed his head down. "I am very sorry about that. I do not mean to cause a scene. Viorel is speaking nonsense right now. Do not mind him."

"Really?" Misaki furrowed her brows. "But I think we need it, Blanchard. Can you please let Viorel talk? I think he has something to say."

"Oh?" Blanchard eyed the woman for a moment, then silently nodding his head. "I suppose I cannot refuse, as it is a request. Very well."

The mask switched, and suddenly the butler's body became more animated. "Geez, he never listens to me…" Viorel took a look at Misaki. "You're that eager to know? What, are you trying to get on my good side so you can make me agree to being your test subject?"

The surgeon smiled awkwardly. "Yes, but… well… I mean, whatever you want to say must be important."

"Yeah, you think?" Viorel smirked. "Well, I guess you can say that. I'm here to accuse someone, after all."

"Really?" Shinjimae's head perked up at that. "W-who?"

Viorel chuckled. "Now, now, don't worry. It's not like I'm going anywhere now. Let me be brief and explain myself then."

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #002 | Bloody Apron | Decebel's Testimony | Ayako's Testimony**

 **Viorel:** First off, I want to make it clear who I am speculating as the killer.

 **Shinjimae:** W-who is it, Viorel?

 **Viorel:** Heh, well, I'm blaming Master Ayako as the killer.

 **Ayako:** W-wha-?! Me? T-that's _**stupid**_!

 **Akio:** Hm… I see. Why is that?

 **Viorel:** Eager to hear it, aren't we, Master? Heh, the answer's obvious. Remember? _**Blanchard and I were cleaning around the school**_ after the seminar ended.

 **Keishi:** Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything?

 **Ayako:** Wait a second! A-are you accusing me because _**I asked you to clean my room**_?!

 **Viorel:** Ding, ding, ding! Yeah, that's the reason. Blanchard and I didn't think much of it at the time, but now that I think about it… it makes sense.

 **Yume:** … Because it was _**after the seminar**_.

 **Viorel:** Exactly! Isn't it strange to think that Master Ayako would request for her room to be cleaned after the seminar ended and right before Master Hitomu died? It's suspicious.

 **Ayako:** H-hey! That can't be the reason! I was _**never near Hitomu**_ to even begin with after Monokuma shut down the seminar!

 **Viorel:** But the fact is that it's suspicious you would request for your room to be cleaned the moment after the seminar ended.

 **Misaki:** That… that is pretty suspicious.

 **Ayako:** No way! Why would you accuse me of murdering Hitomu because of that?! That was just bad luck!

 **Kyatchi:** Uhuh, sure. Keep telling yourself that, pumpkin.

 **Tomoyo:** Ayako, are you sure you didn't request for your room to be cleaned on purpose?

 **Ayako:** Of course! I don't have any _**malicious intent**_ behind this!

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Ayako's Testimony-**

 **Akio:** Hold it right there!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio gritted his teeth as he pointed accusingly at the lolita fashion model. "You were never around Hitomu? We don't know that for sure."

"H-huh?" The woman's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"

"You were touring the school to look for Blanchard and Viorel," the actor began, shaking his head. "Even if it was thirty minutes or so before Hitomu died, how can we be certain that you weren't trying to look for Hitomu and create a mechanism to have him killed?"

"W-what…?" Ayako bit into her lips. "You think I killed Hitomu? T-that's cruel."

Kyatchi smirked, clapping his hands together. "Well, we still don't know what the fuck the carbon fiber was used for. Maybe the mechanism Blaise mentioned is connected to the carbon fiber."

"What?" Ayako's eyes began to water. "B-but… But I don't even know where the carbon fiber came from…!"

Akio clicked his tongue and turned to the side. It was obvious he wanted to say something, but forced himself silent and averted his gaze from the crying woman.

"I-I'm sure we'll figure it out…" Shinjimae awkwardly smiled at the woman. "P-please don't be sad, Ayako…"

"Why would she be sad?" Yume scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Those tears are probably fake."

"I-I mean…" The animal whisperer blushed, embarrassed now. "I-it could be a coincidence that s-she asked Decebel to clean h-her room… erm, r-right? I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't t-talk."

Watari grinned and whistled. "Ooh, now you're speaking? Why, are you in love with Aya?"

"W-Watari-!" Shinjimae almost jumped from his seat, the detective's mocking voice scaring him. He looked at the detective with an uneasy gaze, then slowly shaking his head. "I-I'm not… I…"

"Aw, why not?" The detective giggled. "Don't want your secret crush on her to be exposed?"

The animal whisperer shook his head, trembling. "N-no, it's not that! Erm, I-I… I-I don't know anything… I, uh, I-I really j-just think that w-we shouldn't throw Ayako u-under the bus because of… erm…"

Watari raised a brow. "Hm? Because of what, dear?"

Shinjimae opened his mouth. It looked like he was about to speak, say something, but instead he shook and lowered his head down. "N-No… it's nothing…"

Watari clicked his tongue, noticing the hesitation in Shinjimae's face. He couldn't help but smirk dryly, continuing on with a now colder tone, "If you don't think Ayako's the killer, then explain to the fucking idiots here why she isn't. Come on, you're thinking the same thing I am thinking, are you not?"

"W-what?" Shinjimae meekly eyed the detective. Fear was written across his face. "W-why're you…?"

"Hey." Keishi immediately threw Watari a cold stare. He was glaring straight into the detective's eyes. "Please don't pressure Shinji into talking. He's obviously not comfortable with it."

The detective was silent. He observed Keishi for a moment, eyeing his every movement. The survivor was on the edge, almost as if he was ready to attack him. The detective then looked over to Shinjimae. The animal whisperer was shaking, clutching onto Saki for support.

The smirk on the detective's face disappeared. Watari took in a deep breath, and let it go. He sighed, then throwing Keishi a lukewarm smile and putting his hands up. "My apologies. I didn't mean to act so scary."

Keishi continued to look at Watari with a slight scowl on his face, but nodded his head slowly in response and relaxed his body posture.

"You're such an asshole." Kyatchi took no time increasing the tension, eyeing Watari with a playful grin. "Geez."

"L… Let's just forget about it and move on to more important things!" Tomoyo quickly yelled out loud, forcing the tension away from Watari despite blushing embarrassingly. "A-ahem, well, why do you think that Ayako's innocent? You clearly sounded like you think that Ayako didn't kill Hitomu, right, Watari…?"

Watari stared at the screenwriter for a moment, silent. He then chuckled and nodded his head. "Yes, I do believe that Ayako didn't kill Hitomu and his cats. It's too obvious if Ayako was the murderer."

Ayako's eyes widened. "T-then-!"

"And despite what we mentioned beforehand with the cat fur to the length of people's hair, Ayako's not the killer merely because it would be too obvious. I would think that Ayako would at least wait until trust was thrown upon her again, which, in this case, is obviously not present."

Everyone looked at one another.

Watari grinned. "Other than that is what Aki had mentioned beforehand, though I'm going to use that point to explain how Ayako couldn't have killed Hitomu."

"How?" Akio frowned, looking at the detective with a hardened expression. He was definitely not happy with what the detective was saying. "Why is she not the killer then?"

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would Ayako not be the killer?**

 **[A. The time difference between her search and Hitomu's death.]**

 **B. She was looking for Decebel.**

 **C. Anyone could've easily spotted her.**

 **D. It is hard to find where Hitomu is at that time.**

 **Watari:** _The answer's obvious._

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Watari raised a finger up, explaining, "It is sad that only Shinji and I seemed to realize this, but the obvious reason why Ayako can't be the killer is because of the time difference between her looking for Decebel and when Hitomu had been murdered."

"Really?" Viorel raised a brow. "Explain."

"Of course, dear." The detective crossed his arms. "What I'm trying to say is that Ayako couldn't have killed Hitomu. Hitomu's death wouldn't have been quick. Remember, he had gotten smashed in the back of the head, had his feet and hands nailed, and most importantly, had his stomach ripped out. That sort of death is more likely than not going to be instant, correct?"

Tomoyo worriedly nodded her head. "Yeah…"

"Then, let's think back to what dear Aya said about her testimony." Watari grinned. "She had searched for Blanchard and Viorel and found them about half an hour before Hitomu died. Viorel didn't mention that Ayako hadn't left them the moment she found them, so I'm assuming she stayed with them in order to watch them clean her room. Now, given the amount of time she had beforehand to hurt Hitomu and his cats… well, now, the timing is just not right, now is it?"

"Given what the case file said too…" Tomoyo slowly pondered, then biting into her lips. "... I see."

"See? That's exactly why Ayako isn't the killer-" Watari stopped himself, eyeing the lolita fashion model, "-however, that doesn't mean she's completely innocent."

"W-what?" Ayako's face paled. "W-what does that mean?!"

The detective shrugged. "Exactly what I said. What, can't you hear me?"

The lolita fashion model puffed her cheeks up, becoming teary again. "Of course I did, sheesh! I-I just don't understand why you would blame me when I… when I just wanted to have my room cleaned…"

"Oh, really now?" The raven found himself smirking, amused. "If anything, couldn't you ask Decebel earlier, right before the seminar? You knew that there was a killer on the loose, so why would you go out of your way to trust Decebel and tell them you wanted your room to be cleaned so suddenly? You do know they helped with last case, excluding you and Kiyoko, of course."

Ayako's eyes widened. "B-but that's-!"

Watari shrugged mockingly, sneering at the model. "Sorry, but I don't have any proof that you were a hundred percent innocent, dear. I can only assume now."

"Sheesh, you're a cheeky bastard." Kyatchi couldn't help but snicker, eyeing the detective. "It's kind of cute though, really."

"H-hey! Can you help me out here?" Ayako pleaded. "I'm not guilty of anything!"

"Really?" The juggler tilted his head. "Huh, is that so? Innocent… that sounds weird. I never expected you to use it on yourself, given that you like throwing people under the bus so much."

Ayako jumped. "Eep!"

"Okay, let's not just start insulting Ayako." Tomoyo quickly tried to mediate the tension, worry overt in her expression. "So, what Watari was saying is that she can't be the killer, but he suspects her of something."

Watari grinned, mockingly shrugging his shoulders. "Obviously, dear. Why else would Ayako want to have her room cleaned now, especially when Monokuma had just announced a supposed killer on the loose?"

Blanchard's eyes widened. "I haven't thought of that."

"Of course you haven't." Watari crossed his arms. "You're only here to do whatever someone asks you to do. Why would you be molded into second guessing yourself?"

Keishi slightly grimaced at those words. "That's pretty rude…"

"B-but then…" Masako furrowed her brows, tensed. "W-why would Ayako ask Decebel to c-clean her room?"

Yume couldn't help but smirk. "I think the answer's obvious."

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would Ayako ask Decebel to clean her room?**

 **A. Because she actually has a messy room.**

 **B. Because she's afraid of being alone.**

 **C. Because it'll give her an alibi if someone died.**

 **[D. Because it'll give her an alibi for her crime.]**

 **Yume:** _I'm not surprised that's the answer._

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"She's obviously going to have an alibi then," the nihilist began, "at least to cover up her crime."

Misaki frowned confusingly, raising her hand up. "Wait, I thought she didn't murder Hitomu though?"

"No, it's like what happened last time." The woman held back the urge to yawn. She honestly would rather sleep than explain herself. "If Ayako was an accomplice last time, then she could be one now."

"What?" Viorel spoke immediately out of place. He was staring at the fashion model in shock. "I mean, yeah, I guess, but isn't that too obvious? I feel like she wouldn't try that if-"

"That argument has been made already." Akio bit into his lips. "Obvious or not, Ayako really could be an accomplice this time around again."

"Wha-?!" Ayako paled. "How?!"

Kyatchi grinned, amused at what he was seeing. "Because you could've been stalking Hitomu first before asking Decebel to be your little slave? You could've been the one looking for Hitomu and telling the killer his actual location afterwards."

"S-so Ayako…" Shinjimae gulped. "I-is an accomplice?"

"Wait a second! That's not true!" Ayako clenched into her fists. "I would never do something like that! N-not again at least!"

"Such a liar," the juggler sneered. "You're so bad at lying."

"I-I am not lying!" The lolita fashion model pouted. "I-I'm telling the truth!"

"Sure you are." Kyatchi rolled his eyes. He was obviously mocking the short woman. "I totally believe that. Yeah, totally."

Ayako began to tear up again. "I-I… that's so mean…"

"Yeah, it is." Misaki eyed Kyatchi awkwardly, however she was hesitant herself to believe Ayako so easily.

"What, you think I'll play nice?" Kyatchi scoffed. "Give me a break."

"Wait, but if Ayako is an accomplice, that raises a question." Keishi bit into his lips. "Was it Ayako who wanted to plan the murder, or the person who committed the deed?"

"Hm…" Masako cupped her chin, suddenly deep in thought. "T-that is something to discuss, huh…"

"Of course it is!" Watari suddenly cried out, beaming. He seemed to be enjoying the sight in front of his very eyes. "That will change the way we approach this case, after all!"

Akio groaned. "Shut up."

"B-but I'm not part of this murder!" Ayako sobbed, shaking her head. "I-I'm innocent!"

Yume couldn't help but sigh. "A wolf in sheep's clothing, huh."

"If you really were innocent, then where's the proof?" Watari grinned, almost mockingly at the woman. "It's sad though. Aki can cover for Decebel, but he can't necessarily cover for you."

Viorel's eyes widened. "Wait, what?"

"Oh my god." Akio groaned. "Watari, you're such a…"

Tomoyo was confused. She turned to awkwardly eye the actor. "Uh, what is he talking about?"

The actor eyed the screenwriter for a moment before sighing, shaking his head. "Guess I should explain myself. Basically, I was a bit suspicious of Decebel, so I ended up trailing them before the whole murder happened."

"R-really?" Shinjimae was shocked. "T-then you s-saw them? S-so they didn't k-kill…"

"No, if they did, I would've stopped them or called them out." The brunette frowned. "They were cleaning around the school the entire time. They ended up being found by Ayako and she did ask them to clean her room. She stayed in her room the entire time to watch them."

"Hm." Tomoyo pursed her lips, thinking. "Did she look like she was acting suspicious during that time?"

Akio cupped his chin, humming. "Well… I guess? I don't want to assume things that didn't happen as a result of being guilty, but I did notice that she was a bit too attentive to her MonoPad."

"Ooh!" Watari clapped his hands together. "Was she conspiring with the killer?"

"I don't…" The actor sighed, shaking his head. "I would assume so. It's suspicious if she's messaging someone right before the murder occured, or at least nearly before the killer went to kill Hitomu and his cats."

"S-seriously?" Ayako was shocked. "But I…"

"If only you had stalked her instead of Decebel." Watari sighed, shaking his head in disappointment. "You're so useless, dear."

Akio groaned.

The detective smirked in response and turned back to eye the group. "So, we do have confirmation that Ayako's behaviors are quite suspicious."

"B-but!" Ayako began to shake her head wildly. "H-he doesn't like me, s-so-!"

"What, confirmation bias?" Watari chuckled. "Even if that's the case, you still have to take into consideration that your behaviors do raise a few eyes here and there."

"She's just crying crocodile eyes at this point," Kyatchi mused. "Pathetic."

"Geez, you two are so rude." Tomoyo sighed, shaking her head. She resorted to throwing the fashion model a sympathetic look. "Why did you ask Decebel to clean your room?"

"B-because I wanted them to!" Ayako cried. "I-I just wanted my room to be clean!"

Tomoyo frowned, slightly displeased. "Are you sure about that? Then what about when Blaise said you were on your MonoPad?"

"H-he's lying!" Ayako cried. "He's obviously lying!"

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "I don't think he'd lie if-"

The lolita fashion model shook her head, unable to listen to Tomoyo's statements. "I'm innocent! I'm not guilty!"

"Well, this is hopeless." Watari grinned, almost nudging Tomoyo to continue. "Ayako's going crazy."

Tomoyo gulped. "I…"

The detective's smile became darker within an instant. His eyes were piercing straight into Tomoyo's soul. "Aw, but you know she's guilty. Why are you so scared in beating her down?"

The screenwriter bit into her lips. She didn't know why herself.

Watari chuckled as he turned to eye Ayako. "Honey, stop looking like that. You'll ruin your beautifully makeup-filled face."

He could hear gasps all around him.

"I'm not guilty though!" Ayako cried out. Tears had continued to flow down her cheeks, ruining her poor eyes. "I-I'm innocent!"

Watari grinned and turned to Tomoyo. He couldn't help but mock her now, shrugging with a soft, "I don't know. She sounds innocent now that I think about it."

Tomoyo frowned, leaning over to whisper back at the man, "Why do you want me to accuse her?"

The detective snickered. "You were the one who slapped Aki, yet you're not able to accuse someone? It's pathetic."

Tomoyo shook her head. "Why does it matter to you?"

"Do you really want me to do all the work?" Watari frowned. "I don't want to do anything, and you guys are all fucking retards. Make my job easier for me, and I'll blow you a cute little smile."

The screenwriter bit her lips. "Because if you feel like we're going to lose our direction, shouldn't you help us?"

"Because you think I'll be that nice and keep us alive?" Watari smirked. "You jest."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She instantly realized what the detective had referred back to, and she bit into her lips and turned away. She looked over to Ayako who had continued to deny her guilt and part in this game.

She had no choice. "Ayako, just please tell us why you're doing this."

"What?" Ayako was shocked. "I'm innocent! I-I would never do this!"

Tomoyo shook her head. "The evidence is laid out right in front of you. I think it's clear you're guilty of something involved in this crime."

"N-no!" The woman shook her head. "I'm not guilty!"

* * *

 **REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN**

 **Truth Blades: Case File #002 | Soundproof Walls | Decebel's Testimony**

 **Ayako:** I'm innocent!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** I'm not guilty of anything!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** I-I can't believe you guys would blame me!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** You guys are so cruel!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** There's no reason to blame me!

==SLASH!==

.

ADVANCE!

 **Tomoyo:** That's not true. There are plenty of reasons for us to blame you.

 **Tomoyo:** You just choose not to accept that.

.

 **Ayako:** That's not true! You guys always blame me for everything now!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** How am I guilty for all of this?

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** Is there even any proof that makes me 100% guilty?

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** There aren't any!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** Decebel always took requests, and so I asked them to clean my room!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** Just **[ask them]**!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** So why would it be suspicious now?!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** I asked them to clean my room, and they obliged!

==SLASH!==

 **Ayako:** So why would it be suspicious? It _**wasn't a one-time**_ request for me to wanting me room cleaned!

.

 **Truth Blade Selected: "... ask them…"**

.

 **Tomoyo:** I'm sorry, but this will prove you wrong!

==SLASH!==

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Ayako's eyes widened as she found herself unable to say anything, only vocally saying nothing other than noises.

"If what you said is true, then we could easily ask Decebel to affirm this." Tomoyo turned to eye the butler. "Is it true that Ayako has been asking you to clean her room in exception to this time?"

Blanchard took over the butler's body, obvious by his courteous bow and shake of the head. "Unfortunately, I cannot confirm that as fact. The time before Master Hitomu's death was her first request on having her room cleaned."

Ayako jumped. "I-!"

"So, she's lying now." Yume had her arms crossed. A subtle look of disappointment was written on her face. "I shouldn't be surprised."

Tomoyo bit into her lips, forcing herself to hold her breath. "Why are you doing this, Ayako? Why did you lie? I don't understand."

"That's so fucking clear." Kyatchi laughed. "She's trying to save herself. Fuck the rest of you, as long as she's safe, that's all that matters."

"W-wait, but I do not understand." Masako was sweating, shaking her head. "W-why would she do something l-like this if she gets nothing out of it? I-I don't think she benefits for doing a-any of this!"

Keishi averted his gaze. "... Maybe she enjoys it?"

Kyatchi smirked at the survivor, amused at what he said. "Well, isn't that something. Very suggestive there."

"I-I didn't mean it like that…" The survivor slightly blushed, refusing to eye the juggler now. "It was just a thought."

"But why though?" Misaki looked at the lolita fashion model, a look of betrayal on her face. "You lied, so that means… you're hiding something from us."

Ayako was teary, yet she shook her head in denial. "O-of course not."

"The cute little witch keeps lying." Watari grinned widely, throwing his arms out. "It's obvious you're guilty of something. It's fine if you don't admit who the true killer is. We already know you played your role in their life here."

The fashion model bit into her lips and turned away. "I-I'm innocent though."

"Mhm, sure you are, honey." The detective was amused, however he felt as if his head was beginning to ache. He ignored this quickly, and focused his attention on Tomoyo. "Good job, Moe. You managed to catch her in her lie."

"I…" Tomoyo held her breath. "I don't understand you."

"Aww, isn't that a shame." Watari rolled his eyes. "But, anyways, I think you should all discuss who the killer is now. There's a vital piece of evidence laid out in front of your very eyes, after all."

The detective's focused was laid on Shinjimae.

The animal whisperer gulped, noticing the shorter man's dark red eyes glaring into his very soul. "U-uh… you m-mean the, erm, the carbon fiber…"

"Yes, exactly!" The man whistled and clapped his hands together. "That piece of evidence will definitely link us to who the killer is."

Shinjimae's breath was shaky. He stared at the detective for a moment before meekly asking, "D-do you k-know who the k-killer is then, erm, W-Watari?"

Watari's smile was blank. "Of course I do, but I'm not here to just reveal it. I want to see you all suffer, trying to pinpoint who the killer is."

"O-oh…" The animal whisperer forced a small smile. "I-I see…"

 _Fucking idiot. That's a lie, so why are you smiling like that?_

He had no idea what his thought is aimed at.

"Right, so…" Akio cupped his chin. "The carbon fiber… Hm…"

Blanchard raised a hand up. "If I had to make an account, I want to point out that I have never seen any of this sort of material near the woodshop, nor around the entire school building."

"I mean, yeah, I can trust that." Misaki threw the butler a goofy smile. "You always clean around the school daily."

"It is my rightful duty, after all." The butler sounded more happier than his expression would convey. "But, yes, Viorel and I haven't been able to compare the carbon fiber to anything around this building. I am sorry to say that we've failed to reach a conclusion."

"N-no, that's fine." Akio awkwardly smiled, taken aback by the sudden apology. "At least you tried."

Viorel grinned. "You better be. We didn't do this for free, y'know."

"I mean, free or not, it doesn't matter." Kyatchi dryly smirked at the butler. "It's life or death here."

"You don't even care if you were to die," Viorel countered, frowning. "You've mentioned before how suicide could be an option for you."

The juggler shrugged. "Monokuma didn't let me."

Viorel scoffed, holding back the urge to roll his eyes. He turned back to the actor. "But what Blanchard said is right- we couldn't pinpoint where exactly did the carbon fiber come from."

"Great." Misaki groaned, slumping her shoulders. She almost banged her head on the desk in front of her. "We're at a complete loss here."

"Why can't you just tell us?" Yume asked, staring at Ayako. "You obviously had something to do with Hitomu's murder."

Ayako frowned. She pouted and turned her head away. "I told you I'm innocent! Hmph!"

"The fuck's up with her?" Kyatchi grimaced. "She's such a kid."

"Why won't you tell us who murdered him?" Tomoyo bit into her lips, slightly frustrated and baffled. "We could solve this case easily if you tell us!"

"Because I'm innocent!" The woman cried. "I never did anything."

Tomoyo's mouth hung agape. "W-what? Ayako, that's-"

"Puhuhuhuhuhuhu!"

Everyone's eyes widened at that disgustingly familiar high-pitched tone of voice. Their attention shifted straight towards Monokuma.

"Upupupupupupupupu!" Monokuma was laughing at the Ultimates, grinning widely at their discretion. It was a malicious one at that, and one that described Monokuma very well- sadistic and cruel. "You guys haven't found the killer yet, huh?"

"N-no." Masako gulped. "W-why are you asking?"

Monokuma's smile told the woman all she needed to know. "I'm sorry, but it looks like you guys won't be able to pinpoint who the killer is easily with that piece of evidence."

"The carbon fiber?" Akio gritted his teeth. "But Watari and Ayako know who the killer is!"

"Ayako's Ayako. She doesn't look like she knows who the killer is." Which was obviously a lie, given the devious intent behind the overseer's smirk. "And, my dear Watari…"

Monokuma chuckled. "He actually doesn't know who the killer is. He's been lying to you all."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What?"

Shinjimae gasped. He immediately turned to eye the detective, shock written all over his face. "Y-you don't know…?"

Watari gritted his teeth. He looked over to the bear who gave him a malicious smirk. Disgusting. The detective quickly looked back to Shinjimae and shook his head, chuckling. "Of course I do. I'm just not telling you because I want to see you all—"

"That's a lie." Akio was staring at Watari, a look of both disappointment and anger in his face. "That's too obvious. You're lying to us."

"You must be kidding with me, Aki." Watari raised his hands out, moving them forward. "I'm not lying to you all. I know you hate me, but you're being quite rude right now."

Akio shook his head, that expression of disappointment now overwhelming his entire face. "You've been calling us idiots since the beginning, but if you don't actually know who's guilty, despite being a detective, then…"

Monokuma laughed. "Yup, yup, that's right! Watari doesn't know, and Ayako's being Ayako right now! Isn't that great?"

Misaki shook her head. "N-no, it isn't!"

"Well, now that you all know this now," the bear's voice became coldly deeper, "Good luck finding out who the killer is in ten minutes."

"W-wait, what?" Shinjimae's face paled. "W-what do you mean?"

Monokuma smirked. "It's obvious you guys won't be able to figure out who the killer is. So, to cure my boredom while being fair, I'll give you all ten minutes to come with who the killer is successfully or else I'll execute you all on the spot!"

"What?!" Viorel's voice roared throughout the room. "Are you kidding me?!"

"That's not fair!" Misaki cried. "You're joking with us!"

"I am not!" Monokuma stood tall and proud. "I am in charge of you all here, and I say you must figure this whole shit out in ten minutes before I have you all killed! We can't be here all day y'know!"

"I-I just got an idea!" Akio quickly slammed his hands down. "We can-"

"Oh, I forgot to mention, but I actually didn't open up a private chatroom with Ayako and the killer!" Monokuma laughed. "So have fun guessing! There's no evidence in this room at all!"

Akio was left speechless.

"What, so we're dead?" Kyatchi laughed bitterly. "We're dead now just because we can't fucking figure out what the carbon fiber was used for or some shit?"

"No, because Ayako won't tell us who the murderer is." Yume threw the fashion model a cold look. "Why can't you just tell us?"

"Because she said she's innocent!" Akio cried out, shaking his head. "She's just being petty right now!"

"W-why can't you just tell us?" Masako asked, throwing the fashion model a gentler expression. "W-we're going to die if you don't…"

Ayako hesitated for a moment, but shook her head and turned away.

"Oh my god, you can't be fucking with us right now." Akio forced a small smile. "You'll die with us if you don't tell."

Ayako bit into her lips, but then shook her head again and announced loudly throughout the room, "I promised the killer to not tell anybody. I'm not going to break that promise because they trust me."

"What? What does that have to do with anything?" The actor gritted his teeth. "You'll still die if we-"

"Wait a second, Master Blaise." Blanchard threw the brunette a worried look. "I might know the reason to Master Ayako's stubborn behavior."

Akio frowned. "What?"

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would Ayako not reveal who the murderer is?**

 **A. Because the killer threatened her.**

 **B. She's being petty.**

 **[C. The motive.]**

 **D. Because she's helping the killer.**

 **Blanchard:** _This is the answer._

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Blanchard pointed a finger up, explaining, "I believe it has something to do with the motive. Since the motive is centered around what the murderer wishes for, Master Ayako's life could be spared if the killer were to wish for her survival."

"W-what…?" Masako was shocked. "T-that can't be…"

"It would make sense," Tomoyo began, cupping her chin, "it would explain why Ayako's not telling us anything."

"I guess, but that doesn't really matter anymore." Misaki gritted her teeth. "We're in a time crunch, and I seriously do not want us to die here!"

"Ten minutes is too short of a time." Keishi breathily sighed. "Does anyone know anything about the carbon fiber?"

"If they did, they would've mentioned something a long time ago." Akio looked over to Watari. "Why did you lie about knowing who the killer is? There's no reason to."

The detective shook his head. "You guys wouldn't understand. I'm trying to do something here! I'm-"

"But we don't know what you're doing." Tomoyo quickly shut down the detective's claims. "I get it. You were being a… well, an asshole to us because you were worried about this, right?"

"That's not it. You don't understand." Watari gritted his teeth, frustrated. "You guys are fucking useless. I seriously hate all of you."

"There's no need to act like this now!" Misaki quickly jumped into the fray. "We need to figure out who murdered Hitomu! Quickly!"

"Shit, we're on a time crunch." Yume bit into her lips. "We don't have information regarding the carbon fiber though."

"It's useless." Watari stared grimly at the nihilist. "Forget it."

"W-what?" Shinjimae was shocked. "W-what are you t-talking about…?"

The detective threw the animal whisperer an indifferent look, his usual excitement gone. "I tried, but it's fine. I'll just trust Monokuma in not killing me."

"What?" Tomoyo shook her head, stifling a small laugh. "You can't be serious right now. Watari…"

"I am. You keep thinking the best of me, but that's a lie." Watari held his breath as he stared at the screenwriter. "What's the use in trying if everyone around me are fucking idiots? I don't even know why I bother being around your fucking company."

Shinjimae gulped. "W-Watari…"

"This is why I don't hold any faith in humanity." Watari smirked dryly, staring down Shinjimae. "They always stab you in the end, Shinji."

Shinjimae was hesitant. He looked down at Saki for a moment. He was shaking.

A moment passed. Another one passed.

Shinjimae shook his head. He slowly moved his head up and cleared his throat, stating, "I, uh, I know who the k-killer is."

Ayako's eyes widened. "What?"

"A-are you serious?" Misaki leaned forward. "Who?!"

Shinjimae was shaking, but he couldn't turn back now. He had to do this. Everyone depended on him, and he knew that.

He was the only one who knew this.

After all, it was he who only shared that specific secret with the killer.

* * *

 **CHOOSE YOUR ANSWER**

Akio 'Blaise' Fukui

Yume Hamasaki

-Hitomu Mizushima-

Ayako Aoki

Blanchard/Viorel Decebel

Tomoyo Ikeda

Watari Irino

Masako Shinohara

Shinjimae 'Shinji' Akahoshi

-Wakana Takane-

Kyatchi Sesshoku

-Kiyoko Yamagiri-

 **Keishi Kari**

Misaki Ueda

 **Shinjimae:** I-I'm sorry, b-but it can o-only be you!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Shinjimae gulped, his grip on Saki tightening as he pointed at Keishi.

No, not at Keishi.

But, at his friend.

Keishi was eyeing the animal whisperer in shock, eyes wide and blinking rapidly. He was staring at his friend in complete and utter silence, unable to say anything out of pure bafflement.

"What…?" Akio slowly began to speak, filling the room with his puzzled tone. "Keishi…?"

"There's no way." Misaki quickly shook her head and smiled. "You're joking with us, Shinji."

"Why would he joke?" Kyatchi frowned, crossing his arms. "He's in a literal life or death situation, and he's not as liberal with his sense of humor than I am."

"I-it's not a joke." Shinjimae was trembling horribly. "K-K… K-Keishi's the… h-he's the m-murderer…"

Keishi looked at the animal whisperer for a moment. He was slow in his movements, as if processing what his dear friend had said. He slowly composed himself and shook his head. "Shinji, why are you blaming me?"

Shinjimae's breathing was shallow. His grip on Saki continued to tighten. He gritted his teeth and forced himself to continue. "Y-you're the k-killer, Keishi… I-I'm sorry, but y-you're guilty, aren't you?"

"I don't understand what you are talking about." Keishi threw the animal whisperer a small smile. "You're blaming the wrong person, Shinji…"

"I-I'm not." Shinjimae's heart was racing, but he had to continue. He had to. "Y-you're guilty. I-it's obvious!"

"How is it obvious?" Keishi eyed the animal whisperer warily. "I didn't do anything incriminating…"

"N-not to e-everyone, no…" Shinjimae shakily sighed, taking a deep breath. In and out. In and out. "I-it's obvious to m-me."

"What are you talking about?" Tomoyo asked, worried. "Shinji…"

Shinjimae breathed out. He forced himself to calm down before looking back at Keishi, continuing to point at the taller man. "T-the piece of c-carbon fiber… it… it belongs t-to you, doesn't it?"

Keishi went silent within seconds.

"What?" Akio raised a brow. "Why would he own something like carbon fiber?"

Shinjimae gritted his teeth. "T-that's because h-he wears prosthetics!"

Everything seemed to made sense at that point, yet that sinking feeling of despair continued to overwhelm the atmosphere.

"Keishi…" Misaki almost fell from her chair. "You wear… prosthetics…?"

"I-I thought he wore gloves," Masako began, referring to the white and blackness of his hands. "T-then again, y-your sweater d-does cover your arms a l-lot…"

Keishi continued to be silent, staring blankly at Shinjimae.

"P-prosthetics are u-usually made out of c-carbon fiber and o-other material…" Shinjimae held his breath, eyeing Keishi worryingly. "Y-you're the only o-one who, erm, w-wears prosthetics."

Keishi didn't speak. Only silence remained.

Shinjimae clenched into his fists. "W-when we h-hung out, y-you told me you wore prosthetics… b-because of t-the countless a-amounts of, erm, i-incidents you've been in… your l-legs and… arms… they're all prosthetics."

"What?" Masako's eyes widened, and her face completely paled as she turned to Keishi. "Keishi… Y-you…"

"Shinji."

Shinjimae jumped at the sudden mention of his name. He looked fearfully at Keishi.

"I'm not guilty." Keishi smiled softly, shaking his head. "That can't be true."

"W-what…?" The animal whisperer gulped. "B-but!"

Keishi shook his head a second time. "I'm innocent, Shinji. You have to believe me."

"N-no!" Shinjimae shook his head, his heart racing. "B-but you're-!"

It was obvious what the survivor was trying to do. He was trying to appeal to Shinjimae. He was trying to save himself by appealing to Shinjimae's soft side.

His nicer, sweeter side. It was a side that can be easily taken advantage of, and Keishi knew this. He was trying to escape Shinjimae's accusation by appealing to Shinjimae with the simple reasoning of-

-he was Shinjimae's closest friend.

"I'm innocent." Keishi bit into his lips. "Believe me, please, Shinji."

* * *

 **ARGUMENT ARMAMENT**

 **Keishi:** Shinji, you need to believe me.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** I would never do something like this.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** Please, you must believe me.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** I could've been framed, Shinji.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** That piece of carbon fiber doesn't mean anything.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** It could've been a coincidence.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** Just trust me, Shinji.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** I didn't do it.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** I'm not the murderer.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** Why won't you believe me, Shinji?

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** I haven't done anything…

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** You have to believe me, Shinji.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** The only proof you have against me is wrong.

|BREAK!|

 **Keishi:** You're wrong, Shinji.

 **FINAL BLOW**

 **Keishi:** There's nothing else that can prove me guilty.

 **ASK | MONOKUMA | ABOUT YOUR | MONOPAD**

 **Shinjimae:** H-how about this?!

 **Answer:** _ **Ask Monokuma about your MonoPad.**_

 **Keishi:** Shinji…

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Shinjimae found himself out of breath, sweating. "W-we could a-ask Monokuma a-about your MonoPad! I-I'm sure you t-talked to Ayako there!"

Keishi was silent.

Misaki quickly turned to eye Monokuma. "W-would you?"

"Puhuhuhu. I mean, yeah, of course." Monokuma grinned. "It would look suspicious if I didn't after all!"

Shinjimae nodded and bit into his lips. "S-see? T-then if y-you don't want to a-admit your guilt, you, erm, w-we'll ask Monokuma t-to-!"

"Yes, I killed Hitomu."

Shinjimae's eyes widened, taken aback by the sudden confession. "K-Keishi…!"

Keishi smiled softly and looked away, head hung low. "I killed Hitomu and his cats, and Ayako did help me."

Ayako shook her head. "Keishi!"

"... Though, if I have to admit, it was more like she blackmailed me into doing it." The survivor's smile was forced. It was a painful, dreadfully painful one. "She thought Hitomu was going to kill her, after all."

"What?" Akio was shocked. "Hitomu would never do something like that though!"

Yume sighed and shook her head, disappointment written all over her face. "Paranoia can only take you so far."

"H-he looked like he was going to do something!" Ayako cried, immediately running to her own defense. "I was sure he was going to kill me, so I asked Keishi to help me! Y-you can't blame me for that!"

"Why couldn't you just ask him?" Blanchard looked indifferently at the short woman. "You're genuinely confusing me, Master Ayako."

"T-that's stupid!" The fashion model stood up, her chair falling other. "H-he would've killed me if I went up to him!"

"But you didn't know he was going to kill you." Blanchard found himself stating, arms crossed. "Master Hitomu does not seem like the type of person to hurt someone without warning. I would assume he would've explained himself if you confronted him."

"So you had him killed without any reason to?!" Misaki gritted her teeth, glaring at Ayako. "You had Keishi kill Hitomu because of that! Not only Hitomu, but his cats as well!"

"I-I was scared, okay?!" Ayako forced a smile. "B-besides, if Keishi killed Hitomu and won, t-then he would've helped me lived and-!"

"You're full of shit." Kyatchi found himself disgusted, grimacing at the sight of the woman. "You really only care about yourself, huh?"

"... I shouldn't have helped Ayako." Keishi averted his gaze, speaking softly. "Hitomu never knew why he died. He…"

Keishi began to tremble. "He… He just told me to do it…!"

"Keishi…" Shinjimae averted his gaze, unable to hold himself back from wanting to tear up. "I-I'm sorry…"

"It's fine…" Keishi softly stated. He looked over at the animal whisperer and smiled. "I was too weak to not help Ayako, and Hitomu and his cats ended up letting me kill them because I was too weak. I'm so pathetic."

"Fucking Ayako!" Akio pointed angrily at the woman. "I can't believe you would do this! Why would you do something like this?!"

Ayako shrieked and hid underneath her table.

Yume held her breath, arms crossed. "... Why did you have Hitomu's stomach torn out? You don't look like you were…"

Keishi's eyes widened. He began to sweat, eyes darting around the room. "N-no… T-that was because of…"

"Oops, so sorry there, but time's up!"

Everyone found themselves interrupted by the bear.

Monokuma was grinning at the Ultimates, amused. "It seems like you guys found the killer! That's great! Get the sob fest out of the way though and be professionals! You still have a job to do!"

Viorel frowned. "What does that mean?"

"Everything is going by as a blur right now," the overseer began, deviously snickering, "so I would like an explanation of what exactly happened. Make my dear traitor happy, y'know?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened. He looked ahead to Watari. The detective was silent, only staring at the animal whisperer. "I…"

"What, you want to laugh at me?" Watari scowled. "Go ahead. You figured this whole case out. So, please, be a dear and explain to me what happened."

"W-Watari…" The animal whisperer gulped, trembling. "D-do you think that I-"

"It's obvious, is it not?" The detective clicked his tongue, annoyed. "If your purpose was to be the savior yourself, then good job. You fucking did it."

That was wrong. Shinjimae knew that was wrong, and he was so certain that Watari understood that, yet…

Yet the detective was glaring at him, acting as if Shinjimae had just humiliated him.

Why? Was it because Shinjimae didn't speak until the very end?

Because Watari couldn't solve the murder without help?

Shinjimae didn't know, but he figured there were a lot of other factors that contributed to Watari's cold look.

"I…" Shinjimae gripped on Saki. "I-I'll explain w-what, erm, happened then."

* * *

 **CLOSING ARGUMENT**

I guess it all started when the motive was announced. A lot of us thought the motive looked a bit unrealistic, but it was still a motive nonetheless. This, well, will inevitably lead to a murder.

In order to combat any ideas of murder, Hitomu wanted us to gather in a seminar to just… discuss about ourselves and how everyone's doing. Before that happened, however, Hitomu ended up in a prank that was set up by Kyatchi. Unfortunately, Hitomu had ended up being hurt and was quickly taken by Misaki to the infirmary room. This was a day before the murder.

I… I don't know exactly when Ayako thought she was a target, but she nonetheless thought someone was going to kill her, and that someone was Hitomu. She was paranoid that Hitomu was targeting her, and so, in order to keep herself safe, she blackmailed the killer into helping her kill Hitomu. I don't know how she blackmailed him, but… it was blackmail nonetheless. She would help the killer, and the killer would commit the deed. That was what was going to happen.

I have to note that Kyatchi didn't end up joining the seminar, and so he was the killer's prime choice for a suspect.

During the seminar, Monokuma abruptly stopped us with the announcement of a killer on the loose. This caused everyone to become wary of one another and it ended the seminar early. Everyone left to do their own thing, and so most of us didn't have an alibi…

Now, Ayako was touring around the school. She must've been keeping track of Hitomu and making sure he wasn't going to be walking continuously. When she saw that Hitomu went inside of the woodshop, she was relieved and went to find Blanchard and Viorel to ask them to clean her room. This would give her an alibi.

Decebel was cleaning around the school however, and Blaise was keeping track of them. You can say that Blaise's suspicion on Decebel led to us discovering how suspicious Ayako was acting at that time. I'm guessing if she was in her MonoPad that she had messaged the killer to commit the deed.

The killer saw this message and went to work. They went into the woodshop where they most likely talked a bit with Hitomu. They made sure Hitomu wasn't looking before striking him with a wooden block, knocking Hitomu unconscious.

His cats were also dead at this point. The killer most likely had them killed after knocking Hitomu out and mutilated the cats. Why though? Well… this was most likely to keep me from learning about the killer's identity…

The killer then had two wooden planks to act as a cross. They placed Hitomu's body there and wore an iron mask and apron. This would make sure that no blood or fur would stick onto the killer's clothes or face.

The killer started to nail in Hitomu's hands and feet. Hitomu likely woke up from this and died out of shock, then bleeding out slowly afterwards… He most likely screamed and tried to cry for help, but no one other than himself and the killer could hear him. The room was soundproof, after all, it was a woodshop… I guess this is the most likely and fortunate answer, since to think of the killer ripping out Hitomu's stomach while he was alive…

… Anyways, Hitomu and his cats were now dead. The killer immediately hid their apron and mask away into a cabinet, and had a blue bandanna they most likely stole from Kyatchi's room. They hid the bandanna under Hitomu's body to make sure Kyatchi would take the blame…

Watari and Kyatchi most likely messaged Hitomu around that time. This led to the killer messaging them instead in order to make sure they don't suspect anything that time. The killer left, and now those two were left to discover the body.

What the killer didn't expect, however, was for one of their parts to fall off. A piece of carbon fiber had fallen, and the killer was unaware of it. Sadly, though, that piece of carbon fiber revealed who they are in the end. It was not a perfect murder.

… The killer, which is you, Keishi Kari, the Ultimate Survivor!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Keishi sighed, nodding his head slowly at the animal whisperer. "... That's the gist of it."

"No way…" Akio gritted his teeth. "I refuse to believe it. Keishi… It seriously just can't be you."

"It's not fair!" Misaki cried, shaking her head. "Ayako used you!"

"But technically, I was the one who committed the murder." Keishi smiled painfully. "I am at fault here."

"No way." Tomoyo shook her head and turned away. "No way…"

Keishi chuckled, however he looked like he was on the verge of tears. He was holding himself back from choking, sobbing. "It's fine. I've already accepted my fate. I rather die young, y'know?"

"But you're the Ultimate Survivor!" Misaki raised her hands, forcing a perky grin. "Surely you can't just die here…"

"Execution, right." Yume frowned. "I almost forgot about that for a second."

"W-why must you die?" Masako was shaking. "T-this is too much… I-it's just not fair to you, Keishi…"

"You can't defy what Monokuma wants." Keishi bit into his lips, face hardening. "He wants suffering, that's all he ever wants."

"I-I'm so s-sorry, Keishi…" Shinjimae was crying, unable to hold back now. Saki was licking his face. "Y-you're going t-to die, a-and I…"

"You had to. I understand that." Keishi softly smiled. "It was either you or me."

"Don't you feel bad though?" Kyatchi crossed his arms, simply eyeing the animal whisperer to the survivor. "You literally killed Shinji's furry friend, and now you're on the chopping board. He's literally losing everyone."

Keishi averted his gaze, silent.

"Maybe I'll be a sacrifice?" The juggler smirked dryly as he looked at Monokuma. "But you wouldn't let me, huh?"

Monokuma laughed. "Of course not! I do not want to give any single one of you the pleasure of getting what you want!"

Kyatchi scoffed. "Figures."

"Oh well!" Monokuma snapped his paws together. "Let's get shit started and vote already! I'm dying for an execution, you hear?"

"N-no…" Shinjimae's face paled. "Keishi…"

* * *

 **VOTING TIME**

 **CHOOSE THE BLACKENED OF THIS CASE!**

Akio 'Blaise' Fukui

Yume Hamasaki

-Hitomu Mizushima-

Ayako Aoki

Blanchard/Viorel Decebel

Tomoyo Ikeda

Watari Irino

Masako Shinohara

Shinjimae 'Shinji' Akahoshi

-Wakana Takane-

Kyatchi Sesshoku

-Kiyoko Yamagiri-

 **Keishi Kari**

Misaki Ueda

* * *

Monokuma grinned as he looked down upon the despair on everyone's faces. "Don't worry! I'm sure you all voted correctly this time!"

Shinjimae slowly got up, forcing himself to eye Keishi in the face. "I-I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be." Keishi smiled, albeit with tears in his eyes. "I should be the one apologizing to you, Shinji…"

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Keishi Kari:** 11 Votes

 **Answer:** Keishi Kari

 **RIGHT!**

* * *

"Alright then, now that everyone has gotten it right, let us proceed to the next part!" Monokuma clicked another button, choices now shown on everybody's laptop screens. "Choose the blackened's fate!"

Akio gritted his teeth. "This shit again."

"There are only two choices this time," Blanchard murmured, slightly shocked at the sight. "Black or white…"

Watari frowned as he eyed the screen. He took a look at Keishi, then at Shinjimae. He looked around the room before noticing them choosing their answer. The detective couldn't help but grit his teeth.

 _Idiots. They chose…_

The detective quickly shook his head and chose.

* * *

 **VOTING TIME**

 **PICK YOUR BLACKENED'S FATE!**

 **Black**

White

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Black -** 1 Vote

 **White -** 10 Votes

 **WHITE IS THE WINNER!**

* * *

Monokuma smirked as he eyed the results. "Heh, so you guys liked white, huh. How interesting indeed."

"I bet you chose black," Akio began, pointing at Watari.

The detective rolled his eyes, grinning darkly at the actor. "Do you not understand the purpose behind such colors? White doesn't necessarily mean good, and black doesn't necessarily mean bad. It's so obvious, yet you guys all chose white."

"It doesn't matter." Yume averted her gaze. "Black or white, execution is still an execution."

Watari was shocked, taken aback. "Are you joking with me now? You chose-"

"White is the winner!" Monokuma cried out loud, voice echoing throughout the room. "Since we have our results, let's begin the execution!"

Keishi bit into his lips. "I'm really sorry about this, everyone. I really messed up here."

"Of course you didn't…" Misaki was shaking her head rapidly. "It's not your fault."

Keishi smiled, obviously denying what Misaki said as fact. His attention was now shifted to Shinjimae. "I'm really sorry about this. I'm supposed to be your friend, and yet…"

The survivor went silent. He knew better than to excuse his actions.

Monokuma laughed, ignoring whatever was happening in the room. "Let's go! Three, two, one, and pronto!"

The sound of the gavel.

* * *

 **GAME OVER**

 **Keishi Kari has been found guilty.**

* * *

 **EXECUTION START!**

 **White Room - Cycle of Bad Luck and Death**

* * *

Keishi found himself inside of an empty white space. It was a spacious room with nothing but himself and the air around him.

He wondered what to do from here. He looked around carefully, taking careful steps from the left and right.

A sudden gust of wind hit his face.

Keishi's eyes widened as the floor suddenly began to fall. It was falling, falling, falling down into the abyss. Keishi swore he could see nothing but the blue sky below him, and god the floor fell apart.

Keishi had no time to even react or scream, falling down from the sky with clutters of broken wood and concrete falling down with him.

The wind was cold against his body. His clothes almost wanted to fly away from his body, and Keishi swore he could feel just how cold the wind was despite his prosthetics.

He was falling, and the survivor was unsure of what to do before he suddenly found himself hitting water.

Cold, cold water.

Keishi's body fell straight into the ocean, and the impact felt like concrete. He had been struck hard and he swore he could hear nothing other than echoing.

His head was beginning to hurt, and he couldn't see. His vision was beginning to cloud as he drifted further and further into the water.

Further into the water which began to sink into a typhoon. Keishi was knocked out of his half-consciousness as his body spun and spun against the typhoon. He was falling more and more, spinning around and around into a sinkhole.

Keishi tried to reach out for help, but his prosthetics were heavy against him, and they brought him down, straight into the sinkhole.

Into the sinkhole which was burning with molten lava.

Keishi fell straight into the molten lava and he was screaming. It was burning him and he felt like his entire body was melting. He was burning and he felt his organs tearing, skin shrinking and disappearing into the abyss. Blood gushed out from his tearing, melting body and oh god his prosthetics were melting.

It hurts so much that Keishi couldn't even register his own screaming. It was burning him and he couldn't make it stop. His prosthetics which were connected to his nerves and tissues were strengthening the pain, making Keishi's body burn and ache even more. The thought to just die here and there was overwhelming the survivor's head, and he was beginning to scream for death until-

-the lava disappeared.

Keishi was burning, and the lava had disappeared. Keishi was now lying there, on top of the black minerals and rock, moaning and sobbing from the pain. His entire body had been burnt. He looked like nothing more than just tissues and red veins now. It was a miracle he was still alive.

It was a miracle he was still alive.

No, it was a curse.

Keishi continued to cry and cry, begging for something to happen.

But nothing happened.

Keishi was now left there to die a slow, slow, painful death.

A slow death that seemingly took years to accomplish, for Keishi was the Ultimate Survivor, after all.

The Ultimate Survivor who would die painfully just because he was supposed to be a survivor.

* * *

Everyone couldn't do anything. They were just there to witness everything play out.

It was horrible. It was horrible and cruel to just watch. Poor Keishi had been ruined to the point of wanting death, all because his talent as a survivor proved him useful… in the worst way possible.

Keishi had to die a slow, slow death, and that was heartbreaking. To just watch Keishi wait for death was just brutal.

Shinjimae had refused to watch this torture any longer. He resorted to hiding in a corner, shaking his head and covering Saki's eyes. He didn't want to see this. He didn't want to see this at all.

To see a dear friend of his dead was horrible. To see his dear friend die in such a cruel way was painful, and heartbreaking.

Shinjimae gritted his teeth, tears continuing to fall from his eyes.

Watari watched the execution in front of him, staring at it almost coldly. It was a cold exterior, but in the inside he was boiling.

 _Those fucking idiots!_ He screamed inside of his head, almost wanting to throw up out of pure frustration and disgust. _If they hadn't chosen white, then Keishi wouldn't have died like this!_

Watari covered his face, closing his eyes. He couldn't help but feel frustrated at everything, helpless and almost desperate at this point.

 _I'm so sorry. I keep failing and reverting back to my old habits. I can't do anything to save these people by myself._

 _Shinji didn't deserve to be treated like that. I shouldn't have gotten mad and I ended up blaming him for everything!_

 _I'm trying my best. I've been trying my best, yet this is where I end up? Allowing myself to depend on Shinji for help? What kind of person am I if I can't even depend on myself to save them?_

… _I never deserved to be a detective. If anything, you should've been the one…_

The detective felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Watari?" It was Tomoyo. Watari slowly opened an eye to look at the woman. She was eyeing him worryingly. "You… you don't look too good."

 _No, stop. Why do you always stay by my side? It's disgusting._

"Keishi's execution left a bad taste in my mouth, that's all." Watari immediately threw the woman a cold smirk. He lightly shoved her hand away from him. "What a shame though. Keishi wasn't that horrible of a human being in comparison to you all."

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "Watari…"

"What, don't look at me like that now." The detective chuckled. "It's cute to see you worry about me, Moe."

Tomoyo shook her head. She looked like she was about to say something, but was stopped by the voice of Monokuma.

"Woo! That was a great execution right there." The bear kicked his legs out, to and fro. "I seriously loved how I planned that. Applause to myself!"

He applauded himself. He smiled, then eyeing the Ultimates. "What? Can't a bear applaud himself for once?"

"Y-you're a monster." Masako trembled. "I-I hate this."

"I swear to God we will stop you." Akio clenched his fists, growling. "I fucking swear it, Monokuma."

"Yeah, yeah, you kids tend to say shit like that." Monokuma rolled his eyes. "I believe it. Like, a hundred percent. Totally."

Yume couldn't help but click her tongue at the bear. "Oh, just shut up."

"Pfft, whatever." Monokuma raised his paws up in surrender, but it was obviously to mock the group. He walked towards the center of the room with a playful grin. "Anyways, that was fun! But, for now, I must take my leave. Buh-bye!"

"Hey!"

It was too late. Monokuma had disappeared yet again, leaving the Ultimates alone in the courtroom.

The sinking feeling of despair.

* * *

And that is it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it! Anyways, I have nothing much to add other than I have a third SYOC out that will have its deadline closed next year! You can go check that out if you want to.

Anyways, I'll see you all soon in the next chapter, hopefully!


	20. Chapter 2 - Part 2, Part D

Hello, and welcome to the next chapter and the aftermath of Chapter 2! Hehe, it didn't take me that long to post this, eh? It's probably not that important or anything though. This chapter's pretty short anyways. Anyways, I won't talk much, so let's just head straight into the chapter!

 **ToonGuy:** "Yeah, let's go! She loves murders, hehe. Why would you like it, it's very abusive at the moment XD Poor Shinji and Keishi. Tell that to Ayako's face, please. Yes, Shinji, yes! Haha, I'm very good at torturing people~ He needs therapy, save him. Hehe, of course, of course."

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Hehe, no one did~ Ayako does also need some comforting. She needs help despite the fact everyone probably hates her by now. Thanks!"

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Keishi had a toasty sunburn, yes. Oof, yes, keep feeding me these nicknames for the characters, please. I love them all. Hehe, well, glad you had fun with it! Keishi is a good boy, protect him. Pfft, haha. Ayako really put herself out there, huh. Don't worry, our poor Kyatchi is bae. Save Kyatchi please. Graphic executions are the best, eh? Yay :D Glad to see that, and also good job on LR!"

 **Meta King:** "Yes, thanks for the warning. They must all know what happened ;)"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Yes, don't you love racing. I find it very fun to race, hehe. Also, the review you have there is still long, how dare. Watari needs therapy, please help him. Ayako is having a streak, let it continue! Yes, I'm a bit annoyed with some parts of the trial since I could've wrote it better, but sigh. Tomoyo and Watari's relationship will not sweeten anytime soon, huh. Hehe, yeah, true, that's a good point. Understandable one too. Mhm, yeah, I could've foreshadowed it more regarding Keishi's thing. Yes, the execution thing. Definitely a fun thing. Welp, glad you liked the execution, but poor Keishi. Save Shinji please. Everyone needs help, rip. Hehe, glad you liked it."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Shyjoker!**

* * *

Watari did not need it right now.

He didn't need it, yet that damn woman continued to stare at him, asking if he was okay. She had no qualms over sticking to his side, and the detective was confused. He was baffled, and somehow that bafflement turned into disgust.

 _I don't need pity. She's looking down on me again._

"I told you, I'm fine." Watari coldly eyed the woman. Tomoyo was staring at him, pale. "You're so stubborn, it's annoying."

Tomoyo was hurt, recoiling back. "Watari…"

Watari threw her another look, but shook his head and sighed. He knew better than to say anything any longer, instead focusing his attention to Shinjimae.

The poor animal whisperer was hugging onto Saki tightly, crying over the loss of not only Hitomu, but Keishi. Both of his closest friends were dead, and Shinjimae was unable to bear the weight of their deaths. He was sobbing, clinging onto Saki for dear life. There was nothing that can be done.

"Shinji…" Misaki gulped, paling at the sight of him. She was unsure of what to say, only grabbing her hands to force them from shaking. She herself was scared, and she didn't want to show it- no, not at all.

"It's all Monokuma's fault," Akio growled, clenching his fists. "That damn bear's messing with us all for no reason."

"Pfft, not only him though!" Kyatchi laughed. He was laughing, reeling his head back and wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. "You know who else is at fault here?"

Yume averted her gaze. "... Ayako."

Ayako quickly put her hands up, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh! I'm not the one you should be blaming! I'm just an innocent victim here!"

"You're going with that bullshit again?" Akio glared angrily at the woman, shaking his head. He pointed at the woman, staring down at her face. "I've honestly had enough with you! I wanted to give you a chance, but you've had your chance! You just brought another innocent person to death!"

"Innocent?" Ayako scoffed. "But he's the one who killed Hitomu!"

"You're the one who pushed him to doing it!" The brunette cried. "Stop bullshiting me!"

Ayako began to tear up. "But I-!"

"No, I'm done with you!" Akio shook his head. He quickly stepped away from the woman, making his way to the other side of the room. "I don't want to speak to you!"

"But Blaise!"

Akio gritted his teeth, now ignoring the woman and turning to focus his attention on Shinjimae. He gave the animal whisperer a sad look as he walked over towards him.

"Really now," Viorel was heard sighing, shaking his head. "It's stupid to think that Master Hitomu would've tried to commit murder."

"Yes." Blanchard nodded his head. "Although all humans do have the ability to commit such an act, Master Hitomu was vouching for our escape. Not once has he ever been seen thinking about murder."

"Says the one who doesn't think that murder is bad," Kyatchi snarked, rolling his eyes. "I bet you think the execution was fun to you, huh? Tickling your little bosom, eh?"

"Of course not." Blanchard tried to keep on an indifferent expression, but it was obvious it irked him- he had frowned slightly. "It has been a while since I've seen someone been killed so brutally and slowly. During my old days things were not as brutal. I only starved and endured the pain I've received…"

"Blanchard." Viorel quickly switched the owner over. "You don't need to remind yourself of the past. You'll just end up becoming more gloomy."

"Yes, but don't fret about it, silly Viorel." Blanchard chuckled slightly. He looked over at Kyatchi and bowed his head down. "Simply put, Master Keishi went through such a horrendous and torturous death. It is too much, even for someone like me."

"... Yeah, sure, I get that." Kyatchi averted his gaze, quickly brushing off the butler and focusing his attention elsewhere.

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "If you really think Monokuma's way of executing Keishi was bad, then what about Kiyoko?"

Blanchard eyed the woman knowingly. "Master Kiyoko… I would think the reason is obvious."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What?"

"Comparing Master Kiyoko's death to Master Keisha's death, nonetheless their attitudes during the trial and after the trial…" Blanchard sighed. "I suppose I do not need to explain myself further. You were a close friend of hers."

The screenwriter pursed her lips. "... It's fine. I asked you first anyways."

"But you still were one of the people who helped murder Wakana!" Ayako suddenly cried. She was staring at the butler with a sort of crazed look in her eyes. "You don't feel bad about it, don't you?"

"Viorel?"

Viorel took over. "Yes? What is it?"

Blanchard nodded. "I feel this weird noise calling out to me, yet I don't see anything. It's strange."

"What are you talking about?" Viorel frowned. "The noise calling out to you is- ooh, I get it."

Blanchard raised a brow. "I do not understand, Viorel. There was a noise."

"I think we're just tired," Viorel sneered. "Maybe it was a supernatural entity? If not fatigue, then maybe it was that?"

"Ah, yes." Blanchard smiled slightly. "That must be the case."

"H-hey!" Ayako was shocked, suddenly running over to the butler. "Are you trying to ignore me?! It's me, Ayako! Hey!"

"Huh, Blanchard, I think the noise made out a name." Viorel thought for a moment, then snapping his fingers. "Oh, Ayako! Strange, I haven't heard of such a name before though."

"Yes, I agree." Blanchard crossed his arms, pondering. "Hm… This must be some sort of paranormal activity. There's no such thing as an Ayako in this place."

"Uh…" Masako couldn't help but eye the butler, then at the fashion model. "Um…"

Yume shrugged as she watched the butler. "Well, that's one way to rid of her."

"Blanchard! Viorel!" Ayako was tugging on the butler's sleeve. "Hello?! Can you hear me?!"

"Why is there something pulling on my sleeve?" Blanchard turned to smile at Tomoyo. "Would you care to get it out?"

Tomoyo couldn't help but back away, gulping. "Uh… well…"

"Pfft! Ahahaha!" Kyatchi rolled his head back, laughing. "This is so fucking hilarious! Decebel's ignoring Ayako completely!"

Misaki eyed Kyatchi worriedly. "H-he's insane…"

"I mean…" Yume averted her gaze, sighing. "Ayako does deserve it."

"N-no I don't!" Ayako cried, pouting. "T-this isn't fair! All I wanted to do was live! T-that's all!"

"You're fucking with us." Kyatchi frowned. "If you wanted to live, then at least kill someone yourself. You just made Keishi your little bitch."

"N-no! That's not true!" Ayako shook her head frantically. "I-I thought Hitomu was going to kill me and I didn't want Keishi to die either, so I-!"

"Bullshit." Yume couldn't help but eye the woman, disgust seen in her pale face. "It's obvious that was bullshit you spouted there."

"I-I mean, I would love to believe that," Masako began, eyeing the fashion model worriedly, "but considering w-what happened with Kiyoko as well, I… I just c-can't believe it."

Ayako was shocked. "I…"

"I don't think any of us here are willing to trust you any longer," Kyatchi spatted, rolling his eyes. "I mean, I never liked anyone in the first place, but considering how many nice people are here… you lost all your chances."

"I just don't understand it." Tomoyo eyed the fashion model with a desperate expression. It was one that called for a reason, an excuse. "Why are you trying to commit so many murders? I don't understand you at all."

Ayako gulped. She couldn't help but stumble, taking a step back. "That's… well…"

"You don't have an explanation." Tomoyo averted her gaze, shaking her head. "I can't believe you're…"

Misaki quickly walked over to grab Tomoyo's shoulders, keeping her steady and relaxed. She threw a cold look at Ayako. "I understand being scared and paranoid over someone killing you, but considering what you've done… I just can't accept any of your excuses either. I'm sorry, but even if I wanted to get a DNA sample, it would never be from you, even if you were the only one left."

"Really?" Ayako's eyes widened. "B-but what I did wasn't stupid! I only helped Kiyoko with the case because I thought what Kiyoko told me was right, and I really thought Hitomu was going to kill me!"

"Then why ask Keishi to do your bidding?" Yume frowned. "You blackmailed him into killing Hitomu for your sake."

"I-I was scared!" Ayako cried, defending herself. "I didn't know what else to do!"

Kyatchi scoffed, shaking his head. "You can keep saying that, but I'll speak on behalf of everyone here- no one gives a shit, Ayako."

That seemed to be the final shot in the heart. Ayako fell over into the ground, sobbing. It was gross sobbing, not the crocodile tears that she'd always cry. It was a genuine sob that was filled with snot and sweat.

Kyatchi sighed, placing a hand over his forehead and murmuring, "Christ almighty."

"L-let's stop, please…"

Everyone turned around. They suddenly found Shinjimae eyeing the group, slowly rising from his spot. Saki continued to nuzzle against the man, but the animal whisperer was now standing and eyeing the group.

"S-Shinji." Akio worriedly placed a hand on the shorter man's shoulder. "Are you alright now? You shouldn't move much if you're exhausted."

"I-I'm fine." Shinjimae turned to eye the brunette, a small smile resting on his lips. "I… I just… I-I don't even know…"

Akio gave him a knowing nod, backing off silently.

Shinjimae looked over to the group, nervously bowing his head down. "P-please don't fight… Erm, I-I don't want us to f-fight any longer."

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "Shinji…"

"We should really get out of here as soon as possible," Kyatchi mused, scratching the back of his head. "This place is beginning to make me crazy. It's too showy for my taste."

Yume raised a brow. "Says someone who works as a juggler."

"Oh, shush." The man groaned. "It's not like I like what I do."

Akio's eyes widened as he looked at the juggler. "Really?"

Kyatchi raised his hands up. "What, am I not allowed to dislike what I do? You people are so one-dimensional, I swear."

"Are we going to go back?" Yume asked, groaning. "I really want to get out of here and just stay in my room."

"Same." Misaki averted her gaze, though her fingers were still rubbing Tomoyo's shoulders. "I hate the tension in this room. It's definitely not soothing to my tastes."

Tomoyo pursed her lips, and she began whispering something into the surgeon's ear. Misaki eyed the woman with an awkward smile, then whispering back to the screenwriter.

Watari frowned, watching the screenwriter and surgeon interact. He didn't bother to comment on it, simply sighing.

Shinjimae smiled softly, though it was an obvious pained one. "I-I'm sure we'll get back soon…"

And, right when Shinjimae had finished his sentence, the room began to rumble.

"Great!" Kyatchi cried out in a high-pitched voice, clapping his hands together. "Back to my ass being broken!"

The surgeon groaned. "Oh my god Kyatchi!"

Kyatchi shot air guns at the surgeon and winked. Misaki chuckled ligtheartedly, and soon the courtroom collapsed.

Everyone screamed again, and they fell straight down the abyss until their bosoms hit.

The room appeared back in front of everyone's eyes, and back in its original state. It was the same room, the courtroom nowhere to be seen.

 _I still have no idea how he can create something like this…_

Everyone groaned and rubbed their bosoms, standing back up while wincing from the pain. They looked at one another, and although the courtroom was now nonexistant, everyone was still on edge.

"Welp." Kyatchi smirked. "I wonder how long it'll take till we stop falling from the courtroom."

Tomoyo couldn't help but frown, eyeing the juggler. "You're assuming we're going to commit murder again."

"Just being realistic," the man retorted, rolling his eyes. "I'm not a hopeless optimist."

"At least try to be?" Misaki awkwardly smiled. "It'll help make yourself happier."

The juggler rolled his eyes and laughed. "Pfft, I wanna be miserable."

Ayako shakily walked out of the door. No one bothered to call her name, only eyeing one another and watching her leave without a word.

Silence.

"Well… I-I think we should go sleep," Masako began, smiling softly. She looked over to Misaki and Tomoyo. "D-do you need help w-walking? Y-you two look exhausted."

"That's kind of you," Tomoyo replied in response, smiling. A hesitant look was written all over her face. "Aren't you tired too though?"

Masako shook her head, brushing her hair back. "W-well… I-it's the least I could do since I-I should've been with you a-at the time of the murder…"

"You were just scared. That makes sense." Tomoyo sighed. "You don't need to feel like you owe us anything, really."

Misaki pointed a finger up, forcing Masako to stay silent. "How about this? We should hold a sleepover right now. We'll use your room."

"O-oh!" Masako's eyes widened. "W-well, are you sure? I-it sounds fun, b-but given the time…"

The surgeon averted her gaze. "... I just don't want to see any of you two hurt. I don't want to risk it."

Masako looked at the woman in shock. She eyed her for a moment before quickly snapping out of her trance, nodding. "O-of course then. Sure, l-let's go then."

"Thanks." Misaki smiled.

And with that matter settled, the trio of friends left the room.

"Well then." Yume sighed. "Guess I'll go sleep too."

Yume began to move, but stopped at the entrance. She looked back to eye Shinjimae. The animal whisperer was still wiping the tears from his eyes.

"... You should get some sleep too, Shinji."

And with that said, the nihilist disappeared from sight.

Akio bit into his lips. He looked over at the animal whisperer and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Are you good? I'll walk you to your room if you want."

"N-no, I'm fine." Shinjimae chuckled bitterly, eyeing the brunette. "I… I just don't feel c-comfortable being around people right now…"

"Oh." The brunette quickly released his hand on the man's shoulder. "Sorry."

Shinjimae gave him a warm smile, then gesturing to Saki. "L-let's go."

Shinjimae and Saki were the next to leave. Everyone left in the room couldn't help but eye him worriedly.

Blanchard couldn't help but eye Akio, crossing his arms. "You're feeling guilty over how you responded to Master Wakana's death?"

Akio awkwardly laughed, scratching his head. "Don't just expose me there. I already have Tomoyo figuring me all out."

"I don't see the problem in it," the butler admitted. "I cannot excuse your actions over Master Wakana's death since Viorel and I played a role in killing her, but I think it is justifiable you would want to make up for it."

"Now you're telling me that? Whatever… Shinji's too sweet," Akio admitted, sighing. "I just hate how the nicest people die, and the mean ones live. Ayako's…"

Akio gritted into his teeth, then quickly shaking his head and smiling at Blanchard. "I'm sorry, but I need to go. I'll… I'll see you tomorrow."

Blanchard bowed his head down. "Of course."

Akio gave the butler a lukewarm expression, then left the room within seconds.

Kyatchi sighed, cracking his neck. "Well, guess I'll take my leave as well. I'll see you guys tomorrow. I need my beauty sleep."

The juggler gave a wry smirk, then left the room right after Akio.

Watari sighed, inwardly shaking his head. He couldn't help but feel frustrated over all of this. Everything was a mess, and his head was hurting him. His heart was burning, and his stomach was churning.

 _I don't see the reason in having me stand on equal terms with everyone here. What is Monokuma planning on having me stand and suffer with them?_

 _Was it to put me down a notch? To make me freak out and snap at everyone? I need to calm down and think of a reason…_

"Master Watari."

Watari's eyes widened. He looked at the butler for a moment, shocked. He quickly changed that shock into a mischievous smirk. "What do you want, dear?"

Blanchard sighed. "I would like to apologize to you."

"Huh?" The detective was baffled. "Why? I didn't do anything."

"Nonsence." Blanchard gave the short man a small smile, but it faded within seconds of its appearance. "Master Watari… You were the only person who chose black."

"You mean during the time we voted for the execution?" Watari frowned, squinting at the butler. "Why do you need to apologize for that? I was just the black sheep of the hoard, that's all. You don't need to apologize for that, dear."

"I need to." Blanchard released a soft sigh. "Master Watari, I do not mean to offend you, but you are actually kinder than you let on."

Watari's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? How?"

"... I do not understand why you try to put on a mask of hatred against us, but I know your intentions behind choosing black over white." Blanchard crossed his arms as he looked down at the raven. "Monokuma is playing with the stereotypical views of black and white. While black is supposed to represent evil, white represents good and kindness. He was obviously toying with our biased viewpoints over these two colors, and that is why we chose white. We wanted to give Master Keishi a peaceful death, yet we should've realized that he would've toyed with our representations of such terms."

"So, what?" Watari bit into his lips. "Do you really feel the need to apologize to me because of that?"

Blanchard nodded his head slowly. "Yes."

"You really don't need to." The detective smirked. "What, do you want me to feel bad for you? I'm sorry, but I'm not that sweet of a person."

Blanchard shook his head. "I do not have any bad intentions over our conversation, Master Watari. Viorel and I both know you made yourself a traitor in order to save our lives."

Watari gritted his teeth. "That's not true. I'm only a traitor in order to please myself, not for you guys' sake."

Blanchard couldn't help but chuckle, now speaking to Viorel. "He's like Master Hitomu in a way, huh?"

Viorel took over within an instant, nodding. "He is, but he doesn't understand himself yet."

Watari took a step back, raising his hands up. "If you're here to make fun of me and force me to do something against my will, then I'm sorry, but that won't happen."

"We're not doing anything of the like." Viorel chuckled, but then bowed his head down. "We've been thinking about this for some time, and we've come to the realization that we need to make it up to you and the others."

"Because of what happened during the first trial?" Watari shook his head. "Don't bother. You already proved yourselves to be better than Ayako anyways."

"That doesn't mean we don't owe it to everyone." Viorel snorted. "Besides, Master Watari, Blanchard and I also came to the realization that you're unaware of your true feelings."

"... What?"

Viorel took a step back. "Well, I'm going to speak this from personal experience, but trying to fight on your lonesome will get you nowhere. You need to have someone besides you in order to accomplish something."

Watari was silent for a moment. He couldn't help but scowl, glaring at Viorel. "Does this have to do something with you and Blanchard being together?"

Viorel grinned. "Don't mind that."

The detective bit into his lips.

"Back on the topic at hand, Blanchard and I do owe it to everyone… Well, I mean, other than that strange entity named Ayako." Viorel chuckled to himself for a moment, then continuing, "In order to make it up to everyone, we're going to try to get everyone to reach an agreement and stay on comfortable terms with one another. You're included in this, Master Watari."

"I don't need them." Watari scoffed, averting his gaze. "They're all hindrances to me anyways."

"Master Tomoyo and Master Shinji were all advocates for getting you to talk to others." Blanchard suddenly switched, crossing his arms. "I'll ask them to help."

Watari's eyes widened. He quickly shook his head. "I doubt they'll talk to me. I've been pushing them away for a reason."

"Master Kyatchi." Blanchard then sighed. "Although Viorel does not like him, Master Kyatchi does seem to be on friendly terms with you."

"I don't need anyone." Watari growled. "You're so stubborn. I'm just here to entertain myself and play Monokuma's game. There's nothing else to it."

Blanchard shook his head. "I'll leave you at that then. We'll discuss this with everyone tomorrow."

"Stop." Watari clenched into his fists. "Don't tell them anything."

"Don't worry." Viorel grinned slightly. "We'll help you apologize to everyone too. Blanchard and I haven't apologized to everyone yet either, especially Master Blaise."

"Honestly." Blanchard began to speak to Viorel. "It's kind of Master Tomoyo to help bring Master Blaise to forgiving us."

Viorel sighed. "She's kind, that one."

The butler waved to Watari, and then left the room, giving him a look that meant one thing-

-that they won't go back on their word.

Watari felt sick to his stomach. He quickly threw his hands over his mouth, forcing back the urge to gag.

 _Those assholes! What the hell are they planning?! They're just going to ruin everything!_

Watari closed his eyes, forcing himself to steady. He had to calm down. He had to calm himself down.

 _Idiots… they don't even know anything about me. Decebel, Shinji, Tomoyo…_

 _They don't understand anything about it. Why the hell did they come up to talk to me in the frist place? They should just ignore me and hate me, like Akio!_

The detective forced his breathing to steady. He breathed in, breathed out.

… _I just need to remind myself what Tadaomi told me._

 _I need to do this. Tadaomi would've done anything he could've to help others, and I have to do the same._

Watari sighed, relaxing his posture. He glanced over at the door.

 _Idiots._

Watari shook his head, and feeling slightly dejected and exhausted, headed back to his room.

A laugh escaped his lips.

 _I'm such a mess. I really am nothing._

Watari closed the door behind him, and left to sleep underneath his blankets.

* * *

... And there's the end! Ahem, well, I got this chapter out quickly, but it is a short one! Hehe, anyways, I'll see you all next time! I must set forth to finish my homework which I totally did not procrastinate on, ahahaha...


	21. Chapter 3 - Part 1, Part A

Hello, and I am back with a new chapter! I hope you all didn't take too long to wait for me, hehe. Anyways, as always, I'll be short, and let's get the show started!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Haha, me neither, but it's a good treat. Nobody seems to like her, the poor girl. Poor Keishi didn't deserve my, that's a nice title right there- The Lolita Who Cried Murder. Definitely a nice name. Haha, well, we shall see~ I doubt myself all the time, so he's such a mood right now. Well, we shall see what happens to Watari~ Your son is fun to portray and write since he's the one who provides all the dark humor, haha. I like him~ Poor Blanchard and Viorel has to be stuck being associated to Ayako. Hehe, thanks!"

 **Meta King:** "Kyatchi is the new protagonist confirmed."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Blanchard shall avoid Ayako now, oof. Aww, thanks!"

 **ToonGuy:** "Kyatchi is the best character confirmed. Masako and the girls should all have a sleepover, hehe. Yeah, you go, Blanchard! He's still in that phase, oh no. It's alright, making things dark shall come soon, maybe. Let's continue to lessen the cast until we hit zero~"

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Shyjoker!**

* * *

"You have a visitor."

He looked ahead to find himself eyeing a silhouette. The darkness of the room hid his visitor's face, but he had a feeling he knew who was meeting him. A smirk escaped his lips.

"When was the last time I saw you? It must've been centuries by now."

The silhouette began to speak. The young man shook his head.

"It's alright. I never actually cared about anyone. It doesn't matter to me. Humanity can die for all I care, including them."

A distasteful tone. He heard the silhouette speak to him, almost frustrated with his mocking, indifferent expression.

"Well, I'm glad you don't feel that way then, dear. I'm not here to suddenly cry and weep about everyone's death."

The silhouette stepped forward. Yelling.

"... I suppose you have a point. I'll think about it then, how about that?"

The room suddenly became darker. It was now completely black, empty.

* * *

"Upupupupu! It's another great morning today, so wake the fuck up and have some fun in your life, dearies!"

Monokuma had disrupted the peacefulness within the building.

Watari sighed, wanting to hug the blankets over him and hide. He closed his eyes for a moment, but once silence began to loom in, he shook his head and threw the blankets aside. He brought himself up, making his way over to his MonoPad and turning it on.

A few notifications were on screen, as usual. Watari frowned, eyeing them carefully.

He decided to first check the group chat, reading the messages silently.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Akio: Let's meet at breakfast today! (06:30 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: Holy shit you're awake early. (06:30 AM)**

 **Akio: Not really? Decebel told me they were up by six. (06:30 AM)**

 **Akio: Or was it by five thirty? I forgot. (06:31 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: WTF (06:31 AM)**

 **Yume: I just woke up. Blanchard and Viorel are making food? (06:31 AM)**

 **Akio: Yeah, that's right! (06:32 AM)**

 **Akio: They seem to be in better spirits. I wonder why? (06:32 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: Definitely because the whole fiasco yesterday's over. (06:32 AM)**

 **Akio: I mean, yeah… (06:32 AM)**

 **Yume: I guess they dreamt something good. (06:34 AM)**

 **Akio: You think? (06:35 AM)**

 **Akio: Well, it doesn't matter. Decebel wants us to meet together, so come to the cafeteria everyone! (06:36 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: Check your DMs. (06:39 AM)**

 **Akio: No thanks. (06:41 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: D: (06:41 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: But it's not actually about sex this time. (06:41 AM)**

 **Akio: NO SHUT UP (06:42 AM)**

 **Masako: Uhhh what? (06:58 AM)**

 **Misaki: This is interesting! (07:01 AM)**

 **Akio: Oh hey! (07:01 AM)**

 **Akio: Come to breakfast today! (07:01 AM)**

 **Misaki: Gotcha~ (07:03 AM)**

 **Misaki: Lemme wake up Tomoyo first. (07:03 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari frowned as he eyed the chat room. He wasn't surprised it was busy, though at the same time he felt like it was quite uncanny.

Not that it actually mattered to him much though. Watari sighed and checked the other notifications on his screen. It seemed like there were a few messages which were sent to him privately. The detective sighed as he decided to check on Decebel's first.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Decebel)**

 **Blanchard: I hope you remember to come meet us during breakfast. (07:00 AM)**

 **Blanchard: Viorel and I will help you as much as possible. (07:00 AM)]**

Watari frowned as he eyed the few messages. He never understood why butlers acted like such, but figuring Decebel would annoy him, he had to type something out.

 **[Watari: Am I inclined to listen to you? I'm not exactly a slave. (07:04 AM)]**

Watari was not pleased to see another message popping up on the screen.

 **[Blanchard: On the contrary. (07:04 AM)**

 **Blanchard: I am inclined to bring you here regardless of your wishes. Master Blaise wants nothing more than for us to gather up. (07:04 AM)**

 **Watari: How about Ayako though? (07:05 AM)**

 **Blanchard: Who? (07:05 AM)**

 **Viorel: Hey, anyways, Blanchard and I really won't be pleased if you don't eat. (07:05 AM)**

 **Viorel: Eating is important to one's health. (07:05 AM)**

 **Watari: Couldn't I just eat later? (07:06 AM)**

 **Watari: Besides, I doubt anyone likes me. I'd just bother Aki and the others. (07:06 AM)**

 **Blanchard: That's why we want to help you. (07:06 AM)**

 **Blanchard: Viorel and I want to apologize for our actions, and we believe you deserve redemption as well. (07:06 AM)**

 **Watari: What are you, God? (07:07 AM)**

 **Watari: I don't feel obliged to apologizing. (07:07 AM)**

 **Blanchard: It's alright if you're stubborn. It's a slow process of changing your attitude, that's all. (07:07 AM)**

 **Watari: Yeah, whatever. (07:08 AM)**

 **Viorel: We'll come by at your door. (07:08 AM)**

 **Watari: Okay, no, you seriously don't need to do that. (07:08 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari scoffed, frustration written all over his face. He hated how the butler wanted to 'help' him, whatever that actually meant. Watari didn't need help, and he hated how Decebel believed they were right.

 _It's disgusting and nonetheless annoying._

Watari sighed, checking up on what Monokuma sent him. He couldn't help but eye it silently, reading the notes the bear sent him- or rather, the evaluations.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)**

 **Monokuma: Upupupupu! The trial was amazing as always. Filled to the brim with excitement! (03:57 AM)**

 **Monokuma: You up? (03:57 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Some people are still up, but I guess you aren't~ (03:59 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Well, whatever! I'm here to tell you shit! I'm the type of bear to stay up all night anyways. (04:00 AM)**

 **Monokuma: So, the trial went great as always! The mastermind's definitely shook right now! So confused about you~ (04:01 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, just continue to act the same like before. The motive this time is pretty simple. I'll probably give it out tomorrow since I wanna take a break for a bit. (04:02 AM)**

 **Monokuma: That aside, I'll do my end of the deal for that. (04:02 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Here's some important information, dear~ (04:02 AM)**

 **Monokuma: The books from the library all came from not only this place, but over the world. They're all important factors in helping you know what's happening. (04:03 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I mean, it's vague, but if you keep reading shit then I think you'll get the gist of what's happening. (04:03 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Well, that's all for now! Goodbye~! (04:04 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari stared at the information Monokuma gave him, eyeing it suspiciously. He skimmed through it a couple of more times before compiling his thoughts together.

 _So, does that mean everything in the library has information that tie in our current situation?_

 _If that's so, then those fictional novels I've read and even the encyclopedias are important? There's no way._

… _Nevermind. I'll continue to check the place out no matter what._

Knock! Knock! Knock!

The door was being knocked on, and Watari instantly knew who was at the door. He grimaced as he turned off his MonoPad and shoved it into his pocket, hopping off from bed and creaking the door open.

He peeked his head out, frowning as he eyed Decebel. He couldn't help but dryly say, "You do know that I haven't even brushed or changed yet, right?"

Viorel was the first to speak, chuckling with a playful tone. "That's alright with me and Blanchard. We'll wait for you, or do you prefer for us to help you?"

"No, I am perfectly capable of changing and taking care of my hygiene." Watari sighed. He looked at the butler and crossed his arms. "Dearies, you do know how annoying you are right now? It's quite sad you would care so much about someone like me."

"On the contrary." Viorel smirked. "We care about every single person here. You're just as important to us as everyone else is. You just refuse to think that."

"What are you, a philosopher?" Watari smirked dryly, cold. "I seriously hate how you're trying to tell me who I am."

Blanchard bowed his head down. "Please do go prepare yourself regardless, Master Watari. We do not want to keep the others waiting."

The detective eyed the butler with the roll of the eyes, then sighing and closing the door. He supposed he have little to no choice, knowing that Blanchard and Viorel will not leave unless Watari left himself. It was annoying, but he supposed he couldn't do anything to stop it.

Watari immediately began to brush his teeth, washing his face for a moment before changing his clothes. He figured he looked decent enough to not shower, and so within a few minutes or so he was finally done. He went back out, of course knowing his MonoPad was close in store, and met with Decebel who was waiting patiently for him.

"Are you ready, Master Watari?" Blanchard asked, smiling slightly.

Watari rolled his eyes and sighed. "Sure, whatever you want to believe, my poor dearie."

Blanchard seemed satisfied with the answer, gesturing Watari to follow. The detective followed the butler silently down the hallways and over where the cafeteria was. Blanchard gave the detective a kind smile as he opened the door.

Watari frowned at the butler, but sighed and headed inside.

Mostly everyone else were already inside the room. They were grabbing their food and plates, chatter amongst the crowd. From what the detective could see, it seemed like Misaki and Akio were the ones talking for most of the time. Kyatchi was willing to speak, though it was mainly to harass everyone with his words. Tomoyo seemed a bit sleepy, eating silently and nodding her head as she listened to everyone. The rest of the others did speak, though it was little in comparison. Sadly, Shinjimae was silent, eye bags under his eyes. The poor animal whisperer was being comforted by Saki who was at his side.

Ayako wasn't to be seen however, though it seemed like no one cared. Everyone seemed happy being without her.

"Ari!" Misaki was the first to notice, waving at the man with a perky smile. "How are you?"

"I'm fine." Watari eyed the surgeon for a moment, then sighing and looking up at the butler. "Why do you want me here anyways?"

Blanchard eyed the detective for a moment in return, then bowing his head to the group. "Like I have said before, Viorel and I are greatly sorry for what we have done in the past."

"Blanchard, you and Viorel already apologized," Akio began, awkwardly scratching his head. "Please, you don't have to say it again."

Blanchard shook his head. "I admit I do not feel satisfied with how words can deter people from punishing others. Viorel and I will do as much as we can to owe you all."

Akio shook his head. "No, seriously, I think you're fine. If anything, I should be apologizing to you."

"That's kind of you." Blanchard smiled. "However, do not force yourself to do such a thing."

The actor eyed the butler with a worried gaze, but slowly nodded his head and turned to eye Watari. He took a moment to stare at him before quickly looking away, slightly more melancholic than usual.

Viorel came to be. He patted Watari's back and urged him forward. "Don't worry," he began, speaking only loud enough for the detective to hear, "We'll be here to help you open up."

Watari turned to glare at Viorel, but noticing that he'd cause a scene, he quickly cleared his throat and took a seat. He grabbed the plate that Misaki passed towards him and began to grab the leftover food on the table. He grabbed the plentiful of sunny side up eggs and pancakes, then the ketchup and syrup before eating. He gulped a bite down before Misaki leaned towards him.

"So, how are you?" Misaki asked, curious as usual. She was eyeing the raven with glittering eyes. "You didn't look well yesterday."

"I mean, doesn't everyone look horrible during a trial or execution?" Watari dryly replied, rolling his eyes. "I'm fine. Why are you asking anyways, dear?"

The surgeon laughed awkwardly. "Well, nothing much! I just noticed you were a bit too silent and emotional yesterday. I'm glad you're better though."

Watari averted his gaze. _Emotional, huh?_

The detective bit into another piece of his pancakes. He chewed on it silently before he accidentally looked over to where Shinjimae was.

He didn't mean to make Shinjimae more uncomfortable than he already was, in all honesty. He didn't know he'd stare at the animal whisperer, causing them to glance at one another before Shinjimae quickly retracted away and went back to eating by his lonesome with Saki. The animal whisperer refused to even look anywhere except at Saki anymore.

"Hey, Watari."

The detective looked ahead, finding Akio staring at him. Watari couldn't help but worry something was off, his smirk falling fainter than he had wanted. "Yes, Aki dearie?"

Akio sighed. "I want to talk to you for a bit later."

"Why?" Watari frowned. "Do you have to confess your love to me that early?"

"Wha- no!" Akio blushed slightly, shaking his head. "No, but, well, I want to talk to you later. I'll tell you everything later. I'll message you when and where."

The detective eyed the actor for a moment, then chuckling. He clapped his hands together and winked. "That's suspicious, but sure~"

Akio nodded his head and slowly began to go back to his own business. He spoke with Misaki who grinned at him. The duo began to engage in small talk, Akio seemingly being teased as he blushed whenever she began poking at his face.

"A-ahem, have you guys checked the map?" Masako awkwardly spoke loudly, pointing to her MonoPad. "S-some new areas have been opened."

"Ah, yes, Viorel and I have noticed that as well." Blanchard nodded slowly as he eyed the survivalist. "I believe we should split up to search the area together."

"What areas have opened up?" asked Yume, eyeing the butler with slight interest.

Blanchard looked at his own MonoPad, eyeing the map on display. "There is an outside area just down the hallway from where the infirmary and the newly added rooms from before were."

No one bothered to mention the other rooms, especially the woodshop.

The butler continued, speaking clearly, "Apparently, from what is displayed on the screen, there is a swimming pool, garden, warehouse, fields, and… oh, hot springs."

"Hot springs?!" Misaki immediately leaned towards Blanchard, eyes glittering. "Oh my gosh, I want to use the hot springs! I haven't been to one before!"

"Really, you haven't?" Tomoyo turned to eye the surgeon with an amused smile. She didn't even bother to register the fact that there were slight eye bags underneath her eyes. "Hot springs are relaxing to be in. O-oh! Maybe we should go together, right Masako?"

Masako's face turned red. "R-really? I-I would love to, if you don't mind, that is… hehe…"

"Hopefully the guys won't peek," Kyatchi mused, smirking at the trio of women.

Viorel frowned, shaking his head in disgust. "Master Kyatchi, you jest. No one is that perverted in here."

"Except for Kyatchi himself," Yume said, unable to hold back from sarcastically stating.

Kyatchi laughed. "True, true."

"Anyways, I believe it is in our best interests to split up into groups to search the areas more efficiency and at our own discretion," Blanchard announced, bowing his head down. "I believe this will at least provide us to learn more about each other well."

Akio smiled softly as he eyed the butler. "Well, I guess you have a point. I don't mind."

"Let's all choose at random!" Misaki cried out, suddenly standing up from her seat. "That'll make things more fun!"

"I already did that with Viorel." Blanchard chuckled, reaching into his pocket to take out pieces of paper. There were names written on each piece of paper. "I will begin to choose now. We will have three groups, three people in each."

"Wow," Yume dryly mused. "Nice."

Blanchard began piling the pieces of paper together. "Alright, I will announce the groups and choose randomly."

The butler grabbed the first three batches of paper, then opening them up and reading them out loud. "Master Watari, Master Masako, and… Master Shinji."

Watari was not surprised Blanchard would be hesitant in speaking the last name. If anything, the detective expected it. He even expected the reactions people threw, those of shock, fear, worry, etc. He knew Shinjimae was going to look desperate at this, but he also knew Shinjimae would resort to saying nothing.

 _Shit. This is just great. It feels like Blanchard and Viorel are just planning this whole thing out to make me 'open up' or something._

Masako turned to eye the detective. She smiled softly at him. "I-I hope I won't be a disturbance to you."

Watari hummed simply in response, uncaring.

"Our next group will be Viorel and I, Master Kyatchi, and Master Tomoyo." Blanchard turned to eye the group. "That means the last group will consist of Master Misaki, Master Blaise, and Master Yume."

"That's fine with me," Misaki commented, smiling widely. "I'm excited."

"Of course you are." Kyatchi rolled his eyes, tugging at his bandannas. "Threesomes are the best after all, heh."

Tomoyo eyed the juggler worriedly, unsure what to make of the man's comment. "Uh… Yeah, sure."

"I really don't see the point in being in groups," Yume admitted, frowning slightly, "but I'll go with the flow. Whatever."

Misaki laughed amusingly, clapping her hands together. "Well! Let's finish our food first though."

Viorel smirked as he crossed his arms, huffing. "Please feel free to eat as much as you want, and as slowly as you want. We're not here to force you to eat faster or as little as possible."

"Pfft, I know!" The surgeon continued to laugh, shoving a pancake into her mouth. It was a miracle she hadn't choked on it. "This tastes so good!"

The butler grinned. "Of course it does. We put our heart and souls into cooking them, Master Misaki."

Watari silently bit into his pancakes. He didn't register the conversation going on around the room, only focusing on himself and his food. He simply thought to himself as everyone slowly, but surely, began to finish their food. It took about a couple of minutes before everyone had finished, the dishes now being taken away into the kitchen on the sink.

"Alright, we should get going!" Misaki announced, going on her tiptoes to throw an her arms around Akio and Yume. "Let's go!"

Yume groaned, shaking her head. "Let's not, please…"

"Yeah." Akio awkwardly laughed, sweatdropping. "Alright then, lead the way."

And with that, Misaki led the duo straight outside the cafeteria in search for the unexplored lands of the world.

"We should get going as well," Blanchard announced to Kyatchi and Tomoyo. "The quicker we investigate, the better."

"I mean, sure." Kyatchi shrugged. "Whatever you prefer, slave."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Kyatchi!"

The juggler grinned as he eyed the flustered woman. He couldn't help but chuckle as he skipped away from the room, escaping Tomoyo's urge to lecture him as she quickly chased after him.

Blanchard sighed as he eyed the duo. He shook his head before looking over to where Watari stood. He gave him a knowing nod, taking a step over to the detective to speak privately with him. "Please try to talk to Master Shinji."

Watari frowned, looking up at the butler. He couldn't help but scoff and avert his gaze. "Do you have the right to order me around?"

"I don't. I am but a mere butler." Blanchard immediately switched to Viorel. "We do feel like it'd be better if you apologize to Master Shinji as soon as possible though."

Watari bit into his lips. "Did you plan this?"

"No, if anything, it'd be me doing the 'manipulating'." Viorel chuckled softly to himself. He sighed and patted the detective's shoulder, then taking a step out towards the door. "We'll see you all soon. Goodbye for now."

And with that, the butler had disappeared. Watari soon found himself alone with Masako and Shinjimae. Masako was eyeing him worriedly, and Shinjimae was completely fixated in Saki. The detective inwardly frowned to himself- he knew this wasn't going to go well.

"Uh… A-are we ready?" Masako asked, daring to break the tension. "If so, then we should get going, r-right?"

Watari smirked at the woman. "Of course, dear. Let's get going then, shall we?"

With that settled, the trio began to move. They made their way out of the cafeteria and down the hallways, making their way to where they noticed a glass door. It was a door that showed the outside world- sunlight to be seen with green grass to be seen right outside the glass. It was somehow unusual of a sight for the trio- they haven't been in the outside world since days. It honestly made their stomachs churn, bodies shaking.

Watari held back the urge to sigh, taking a step forward to grab the handle. There, he slowly opened the door.

Grass. There was grass everywhere. Sunlight hit the grass, the Sun clear above in the sky. Despite the Ultimates finding themselves trapped nonetheless, the Sun hitting through the glass dome which surrounded the group and the lines of fences which kept the group from looking at the outside world from the bottom to all the way to where the walls seemed to hit the skies, they found themselves warm and relieved.

Especially Saki. The dog immediately jumped away from Shinjimae to the grass.

Shinjimae's eyes widened as he reached a hand out. "S-Saki!"

The dog barked happily as she ran around in circles, rolling and tumbling on the grass. She was happy in this small paradise of hers, nuzzling against the greens.

Shinjimae sighed, unable to call Saki back. He quickly shook his head to hold back a smile. "Geez, t-that girl…"

Masako couldn't help but giggle, eyeing Saki who found herself relaxing against the grass. The Sunlight was shining down upon her. "I-I honestly find it cute."

"It's a shame we're trapped in a dome though," Watari mused, making his way further inside. He looked around the area, ignoring the obvious places he had to investigate in turn to eye the fences and dome. He looked up at the glass dome (or ceiling, if he had to admit), then eyeing the fences which blocked all access from the outside world. He couldn't help but grit his teeth.

 _Shit. Finding out our exact location here, nonetheless asking for help seems impossible. Unless we can break the dome above and somehow escape…_

 _If we are in Chiba City and potentially in Tsubaki's regular high school. If I take what I know about this, then this region's 'one-of-a-kind' Ultimate school should be miles away from here._

… _I'm not sure if anyone even remembers that I'm gone. Yeah, Monokuma must've kidnapped us during vacation, if not break._

"Watari?"

The detective's eyes widened. He turned to eye the survivalist, Masako looking at him worriedly. "Sorry to ask, but, a-are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I was just wondering about something." Watari chuckled dryly. "So, where should we start first? Anywhere you'd like to look in particular?"

Masako blushed. She quickly shook her head and looked away.

Watari grinned. He had a feeling he knew what the woman wanted to look at. "Do you know where the hot springs are?"

Masako jumped. "A-ah! No, y-you don't have to investigate that place if you don't want to!"

The detective smirked. He reached into his MonoPad. "Don't worry, dearie, we'll be investigating everywhere anyways. Let's see…"

He turned on the device. There, he found himself eyeing a notification. He frowned, noticing it was from Akio.

 **[Notification**

 **Chatroom: (Watari/Akio)**

 **Akio: We'll meet up outside here after Monokuma announces nighttime. I want to apologize for a few things, and discuss about how to handle the killing game moving forward. (01:21 PM)]**

Watari eyed it silently, staring at it for a moment. He did think of the message as suspicious, especially in more ways than one, however he knew Akio wouldn't be trying to kill him anytime soon. He knew Akio knew of his worth, after all.

Still, he can't think much about it for too long. He quickly hid the notification from Masako's eyes and went to the map. He looked down at the diagram of the place and grinned, looking back at Masako. "Seems like the hot springs are right next to the swimming pool. We have to go left."

"R-really?" Masako smiled softly. "Well, that's nice to know. I-I suppose we go left?"

Watari nodded. "Mhm, of course, dear."

"T-then let's go."

Masako and Watari began to move, but the detective noticed Shinjimae eyeing Saki silently. The detective couldn't help but worry that Shinjimae's health was deteriorating horribly, especially if the animal whisperer was unwilling to even call Saki over or notice the duo beginning to leave.

Watari looked over to see if Masako noticed, but she was already making her way down left. He frowned. It seemed like he'd have to talk to him.

 _Great, I'm so sure this won't end well._

Watari sighed. He wondered how he could avoid having to personally face the animal whisperer, then quickly cupping his hands around his mouth. "Saki!"

Shinjimae jumped. He quickly looked around and blinked. "H-huh? What?"

Saki perked her head up. She looked at Watari with a confused tilt, but noticing the detective's fixated stare, she barked happily at him and ran at him.

The detective's eyes widened. "H-hey, Saki, stop-!"

It was too late. Watari found himself being pummeled to the ground, Saki leaning on his body and licking his face. Her tail was wagging excitedly.

"S-Saki, that tickles!" Watari found himself flustered by the labrador. He hated how ticklish he was, and this definitely made him regret his life choices. "S-Saki!"

"H-hey, S-Saki!" Shinjimae ran over to the dog with a desperate expression. "Y-you're bothering him! Geez, w-why are you so happy…?"

Watari bit harshly into his lips, forcing back the urge to laugh. He seriously hated how the dog was continuing to slobber his face, her fur rubbing against his clothes. "G-get off of me!"

Saki licked him for one last time before barking happily at him, then pouncing over to Shinjimae and rubbing herself against him. She seemed to be communicating with the animal whisperer, his eyes widening within seconds and face becoming red.

"B-but…" Shinjimae awkwardly looked down at Saki. His face saddened as he began making a few barks himself, communicating with the dog. She whined sadly.

Watari panted, finding himself a mess as he slowly got up from his spot. He looked at the pair and begrudgingly pointed back. "Let's go. Masako already headed over to the hot springs."

"A-ah…" Shinjimae immediately averted his gaze. "S-sorry…"

The detective sighed, scratching his head. He knew the animal whisperer wouldn't be willing to speak to him. Watari rolled his eyes and began walking down, heading over to where Masako was with Shinjimae and Saki behind.

They eventually found themselves walking down a paved road, the pathway becoming smoother as they found themselves walking into what seemed to be a bathhouse. Watari eyed it curiously as he continued forward, meeting with Masako who was just about to open the entrance.

"O-oh, there you all are." Masako smiled at the duo softly, but then blinked confusingly as she noticed Watari's messy clothing and saliva-filled face. "W-what happened, uh…?"

Watari immediately shut her down. "Don't mind it, dear."

Masako gave him a worried look, but sighed as the detective walked ahead to open the door. He headed inside with the others following close by, Watari looking around to find himself hitting warm air- mist.

Inside of the bathhouse was a small area the group stood where Watari assumed was the lobby. There were pastel-colored walls with the usual floor being squared and gray. On the sides of the room were small shelves. Upon opening one Watari was greeted with a towel, some sunglasses, googles, sunscreen, and a swimsuit. Watari took careful notice of the swimsuit for a moment, then noticing that he had almost forgotten the messily written name on the lobby- 'Kyatchi'. Written in sharpie, he believed. Watari quickly shoved the swimsuit back in and closed the shelf.

Watari took a look around the area for a while, then noticing two doors- there was one from the bottom left, and one from the bottom right. The one on the left was painted blue- an icon of a male figure to be seen. As expected, on the right, there was pink with a white female figure. He supposed those were the changing rooms.

Watari looked over to the open entrance that would lead the group into the hot springs. It was blocked by blue curtains. Watari can only assume it would be a pretty sight inside.

Watari turned to eye Masako, pointing to the blue-colored door. "I'll check the changing room, dear. The male one, of course~"

Masako nodded. "Y-yes, of course."

The detective threw the woman a kind smile. His eyes quickly looked away from Shinjimae and Saki's gazes, the detective holding his breath as he quickly went into the male changing room.

The first thing Watari noticed when he walked into the room were the two benches that were glued to the square-patterned light blue floor. The benches were shiny and polished, clean to the eye with its iron, almost silvery glint. To the sides of the two walls, left and right, were the locker rooms. Watari noticed his with ease, opening it up to find a few white towels laid down inside. He eyed it for a moment before closing it, then looking around to find the showerheads standing tall downwards along the room. He walked further into it to find the showers, white curtains to hide whoever went to the showers along the room. Other than shampoo, conditioner, and body wash- there was nothing else of much thought to Watari's mind. Shrugging, the detective went back outside, finding Masako and Shinjimae looking at the cupboards.

They noticed Watari heading outside instantly, and Masako gestured into the main area. Watari nodded, and the trio headed inside with Saki leading them excitedly.

Once heading inside through the curtains, the trio found themselves staring at a wide, open, spacious area.

"W-woah…" Masako's black eyes were practically glittering to no end, hands cupped and mouth agape. "A-a swimming pool…"

Saki barked at Shinjimae who laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, i-it does look nice."

It was an Olympic sized swimming pool, stretching far enough for a professional swimmer to jump out of excitement of. Clear, pristine water has filled the pool, nothing tainted nor grimy to be seen. Around the swimming pool were comfortable white lounge chairs which were there to satisfy anyone who wanted to take a break. There were a few white tables to be seen close to the chairs, small tables that would be able to fit an individual's meal and drink if they so desired one.

And speaking of drinks and food, there were vending machines which hid over to the right corner of the room, down from the entrance. There was a vending machine which spat out water bottles, iced coffee, iced tea, soda, sparkling water, juices, and energy drinks of all kind. There was another vending machine to the left of the drinks, that one spitting out different types of sushi, salad, hamburgers, pizza slices, and bento boxes of all kind. Watari had to assume there was a microwave built inside of the vending machine or something. The last vending machine was stood at the corner from the two other machines, that one spitting out frozen treats such as ice cream of various flavors, popsicles, sherbets, mochi, etc.

 _This is definitely a Japan-thing alright._

Watari couldn't help but eye the vending machines curiously, amused at the fact that Monokuma had the nerve to either keep the vending machines working for the Ultimates' luxury, or built them in to make their lives better. Watari despised how Monokuma wanted to make the Ultimates feel luxurious at what should be a normal school, especially if it was Tsubaki's school, but he had little to whine about.

Besides, Masako herself had nothing to complain about.

"O-oh my god!" Masako cried, literally drooling as she slammed her hands to one of the machines. "T-they have vending machines here! I-I haven't seen one since I-I was five!"

Watari chuckled, eyeing the woman with particular interest. "Dear, you should've seen these types of machines all around Japan."

Masako immediately blushed, quickly realizing her trance of excitement. She quickly turned to Watari and shook her head, face entirely red. "I-I-I'm so sorry! I-I guess you can say I wasn't a city girl… I-I really didn't live a normal life."

"Psh, it's alright." Watari chuckled. "I bet you Blanchard and Viorel hasn't seen machines like those either, or those which produce ready-to-go food actually."

The survivalist awkwardly smiled, her sloppily done ponytail slightly bouncing in place to her childish movements. "I-I mean… I-I'm not exactly the most normal person here, s-so it's fine if you think I'm… weird. I am anyways."

"Wouldn't necessarily say that." Watari smirked as he patted the woman's back teasingly. "If anything, Tomoyo and Misaki would kill me if they see me insulting you."

Masako blushed. "T-they're just too kind… for someone like me."

 _They're just naive._

The detective eyed her for a moment, then looking over at Shinjimae and Saki. The duo were curiously looking down at the pool, almost entranced by it. Watari could say for sure everyone wanted to swim or whatnot.

The detective then eyed the wooden framed, yet mainly glass door to the right corner down from where he stood. He saw a sign taped to the glass which said, "Hot Springs", then a smiley face drawn on the bottom of the sign with what seemed to be a rainbow marker.

"Well," the raven began, eyeing the redhead, "let's check the hot springs out, dear."

Masako's face immediately lit up. "O-okay then!"

Watari glanced at Saki to gesture her to bring Shinjimae to the hot springs. He watched as Saki panted at the animal whisperer, Shinjimae nodding as he followed Watari and Masako into the hot springs.

Watari opened the door, and allowed everyone inside before heading inside himself. There, he was immediately greeted with warm mist to his face. Mist covered the entire area, Watari immediately regretting what he wore considering the temperature. He found himself stepping down on a placemat, that one being woven akin to what bamboo would look like. There was a wooden area that he stepped in, obviously, that one being where the Ultimates could wash up, rinse at the side, or clean up and put their stuff away. That part was in the left side of the area, being layered a step beneath in order to not wet the main area. Towels hung where the wooden shelves were in the main area, that place being mainly where people would bring and take their stuff, wear slippers or put their clothes away, etc.

Watari was not surprised to see Masako's eyes lighting up again. She almost whistled at the sight of the springs, saying with a childish excitement, "I-I haven't been to a hot spring before… Woah…"

From where the main area stopped was the stone layered floor and area. The stones were huge and smooth, unable to injure anyone with a touch. The stone were evenly laid out and smooth, however the rocks were laid around the hot springs as a barrier of sorts. The spring was enormous and spacious, wooden bamboo-carved planks to act as the hot spring's source of recycling and warming the water. Waterproof dim lights were all over the area, either to the boulders which surrounded and protected the area or to the cherry blossom trees which hung above the outside of the springs beautifully. It was a great radiance to cause someone to relax.

"I-I really want to test it out right now…" Masako murmured to herself. "I-it just looks so warm and nice!"

Watari chuckled. "Of course it is. Hot springs are like that."

Shinjimae looked over at Saki, biting into his lip. "I-I wonder if she can go in the springs…"

Masako looked over at Shinjimae with a small smile. "D-dogs aren't a good mix with hot springs, Shinji."

"Ah, erm, I see." Shinjimae awkwardly eyed the woman, then immediately turned away.

Masako eyed the springs for another moment, then nodding and turning to Watari. "I-I believe we can go now."

Watari raised a brow. "You don't want to go try the springs out yourself then?"

"N-no." Masako then blushed as she turned away. "B-besides, Tomoyo and Misaki are going with me later."

The detective smirked. "Nice~"

The survivalist awkwardly smiled at the detective. "W-we should go now. Uh, w-where should we go next?"

"Hm…" Watari took out his MonoPad and eyed the map. "It seems like the closest area from here would be the garden and fields. Those would be close to the warehouse too."

"W-we should have a park," Masako suggested, comfortable to the point where she can comment on certain things. "I-I do prefer the outdoors, even if my talent…"

Masako quickly shook her head. "A-anyways, we should go."

Watari shrugged with ease, grinning. "Lead the way then, dear."

The survivalist nodded, albeit hesitantly, and began leading Watari and Shinjimae outside the building. The trio walked down back where they came from, this time taking a detour once finding a small brick fence surrounding what seemed to be where the garden was. Watari could tell from the black barred gates which acted as the entrance, spiraled from all sides to make it look like a gallery of roses. Watari followed Masako who creaked the gate open, then leading him and Shinjimae inside.

What was found inside were all sorts of flowers lined up, akin to a beautiful, authentic garden. Different colors of roses were found- red, white, etc. There were daisies and sunflowers and lilies everywhere. Cherry blossoms were at the end of the garden, all planted to the farthest left and farthest right corner, a bench seen in the middle.

"T-this place is so pretty," Masako commented, smiling as she walked down the path. The bars above which acted as an aesthetic purpose to the garden were covered in vines.

Saki barked happily at Shinjimae. The animal whisperer seemed to like the area himself, smiling as he eyed the gazania flowers laid out from his left.

Watari couldn't help but not even bother thinking about the aesthetics of the area. Instead, his mind was solely focused on Wakana.

Because, honestly, she would be entranced at the sight of these flowers.

The detective sighed to himself, walking around the area with Masako and Shinjimae. He could see how even Saki was amused at the sight of the flowers, Shinjimae making noises to speak to her.

 _Saki's his only friend now, huh._

Watari's mind couldn't help but slip back to what Blanchard told him, but he honestly couldn't find it in him to apologize- it wasn't right to him, and he knew he wouldn't sound genuine if he did. If anything, the detective believed it wasn't a big deal. He honestly couldn't care less if Shinjimae wasn't going to speak to him any longer.

Even if Shinjimae was the one who tried to befriend Watari and understand him in the first place.

Watari never wanted to befriend anyone in the first place. Forming relationships with people and presenting himself as sympathetic to people is something he never wanted to do. He didn't believe that people were of any worth in his personal agenda, after all.

While walking around the garden for a while, Watari found himself noticing another group investigating the area. It seemed like Masako had already reached them, her greeting the group with a polite bow. Watari eyed Shinjimae and Saki who walked ahead to greet them, at least slightly, and so the detective headed over to talk to the group.

"Hello again, Master Watari." Blanchard greeted the detective with a courteous bow. "How is the investigation going so far?"

Watari eyed the butler for a moment before shrugging smugly. "Nothing special to note of. We just investigated the swimming pool and hot springs."

Blanchard nodded, then turning to eye the flowers. "I very much do enjoy looking at flowers. They're quite symbolic of our emotions and life."

The detective's expression gloomed. "Yeah…"

"It does remind me of Master Wakana." Blanchard eyed Watari who didn't speak on the topic. The butler sighed as he looked at the different array of flowers. "If she was here, I would love to ask her to accompany me to the garden here more often than not. She would share my sentiment on flowers, after all."

"You seem to love flowers a lot then," the detective dryly stated, shrugging. "It's quite cute, given your monstrous height."

Blanchard nodded. "I have been given the role of a white violet during my time in my home."

"The cult, you mean." Viorel was slightly disgusted. "I'm still surprised that you're a bit proud over being in the cult."

"Ah, but that is because I did meet you despite what tasks the people there have given us." Blanchard sighed, turning to Watari. "You see, Viorel here was given a purple poinsettia as his role."

"Yeah, I know, it's rare and that's why it surprises you." Viorel shrugged. "It's nothing special to worry about."

"It is an artificial flower that belongs only back at the organization, yes." Blanchard nodded slowly. "It is nonetheless something that intrigues me though."

"Artificial flowers are pretty, I do admit," Viorel began, "However, white-purple violets are my favorite in particular."

"That is the same as me." Blanchard chuckled, eyeing Watari. "As you can see, Master Watari, we do have a particular interest in flowers."

"I mean…" Watari shrugged. "I don't really care about flowers and the like, but sure. I'm more interested in your cult though. They sound quite extravagant."

Viorel raised a brow. "Probably for another time. Hearing Blanc here talk about flowers is making me tired."

The detective snickered. "Sooner or later then~"

"T-Tomoyo, you should go c-check the hot springs out," Masako began, speaking happily to Tomoyo, "I-it looks so pretty."

The screenwriter chuckled at the survivalist's excitement. "Geez, don't tell me you haven't been to one before too."

Masako sheepishly laughed. "Mm, h-haven't been to one before."

"Haha, really?" Tomoyo smiled at her friend. "Don't worry! We're going to test it out later anyways."

Blanchard eyed the pair of women with a smile, then turning to Shinjimae. "How are you, Master Shinji?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened, and he quickly averted his gaze. "I-I'm fine…"

"Are you sure?" Blanchard asked, worried. "If you prefer, Viorel and I will brew up some tea or coffee to brighten your mood."

"N-no, I'm fine." The animal whisperer clutched tightly onto his shirt. "P-please leave me alone."

The butler watched Shinjimae who began distancing himself away, heading to an area of his own with Saki. Blanchard couldn't help but sigh as he eyed Watari. "He is avoiding confrontation, Master Watari?"

Watari frowned. "It's not my problem."

Kyatchi immediately jumped at Watari, grabbing the detective's shoulders mockingly. "What, the poor little detective feels lost that the furry boy decided to divorce you?"

The detective sighed, shaking his head. "No, on the contrary. I'm not bothered by anything, dear."

"Boo." Kyatchi pouted. "That's sad."

Tomoyo looked over at Watari worriedly, but said nothing. She turned and eyed Blanchard. "We should go. I think we're distracting them."

"Ah, right." Blanchard bowed to the detective and his group. "I suppose we will see you all later."

Watari dryly hummed, "Uhuh."

Masako waved at Tomoyo shyly. "I-I'll you soon."

"Mhm!" Tomoyo waved back at her excitedly, a bit delighted as she made a small skip to her steps. Soon, Blanchard's group left.

"A-anyways," Masako eyed the detective, "I-I think we looked around here enough."

"Yeah…" Watari glanced over to the garden, eyeing its scenery. "The fields should be closeby anyways."

With that thought settled, Watari headed outside with Masako and Shinjimae following suit. The trio went outside the garden and moved downwards, heading over to where they saw fields of sorts.

They were agricultural fields which cultivates corn and wheat and vegetables of all sorts. Long, spacious fields which the trio knew they wouldn't dare cross, seeing it spread from just outside the garden and spanning all the way down to where they saw a shape of the warehouse.

 _Wouldn't it be easy to hide a corpse there? Then again, wheat and all sorts of crops can easily stick to your clothes._

Watari shoved the thought aside, then eyeing Masako. Seeing her acknowledging gesture, he then led the group over to the warehouse.

The trio took a mile or so before they finally reached the warehouse, seeing its red-painted building in sight. The door was iron and polished, smooth to the touch. Watari frowned as he grabbed the copper handle, turning the door slowly, creaking it open.

There was a lightbulb which hung above, acting as the light source inside the darkness of the room. It seemed to have been enough, strangely, for upon opening the door, the lightbulb had already shone throughout the room without the need for sunlight.

"Oh, hey there!"

Watari looked ahead, finding Misaki's group to be seen. Akio and Yume were on their own, investigating the area. Misaki, on the other hand, seemed to be focused on eyeing the boxes above the iron shelves.

Like a typical warehouse, there were boxes everywhere lined up on iron shelves and phlights. There were a few tractors to be seen all the way down from the entrance, but other than that everything was covered in boxes and shelves. Iron-made and movable ladders hung above from each shelf, making certain that anyone can access what was in the boxes.

"There seems to be a lot of things here," Watari mused, observing the area. He then turned to the surgeon, asking, "Have you found anything special yet?"

Misaki shook her head. "Blaise and Yume have been checking the area since we got here, and so far they found nothing but either empty boxes, or broken machinery parts. I did find out that the boxes on top of the shelves had tools, planks, and bug spray though."

"Really?" Watari frowned. "Wouldn't you think that we should remove those then? People can use them to kill, dear."

"Ack, that was what I was currently thinking." Misaki laughed nervously, scratching her head. "We could take those boxes and hide it somewhere, but the boxes are really heavy and I'm not sure if Monokuma would allow it."

Watari shrugged, eyeing the boxes above with slight interest. "Well, Misa dear, we can probably ask Blanchard and Viorel to help throw the boxes into the dumpster or something. The butler's quite tall."

"Saying 'quite' makes it sound like their height isn't that beastly." Misaki chuckled, however sudden excitement went into her eyes. "That's why I want to get some DNA out from them! They're eccentric!"

Watari deadpanned. "Oh geez."

Akio walked back to where Misaki and the others stood, sighing as he wiped a few sweatdrops from his forehead. "Sorry, I couldn't find anything from my side. I think only the top boxes had stuff inside of them that we should be concerned about."

"Hm, alright." Misaki then turned to Yume and began yelling. "How about you? Did you find anything yet?!"

Yume's shoulders immediately slouched. She looked at Misaki from where she stood before sluggishly walking over to her, stating in her usual monotone voice, "No."

"That sucks." Misaki scratched her head. "Well, at least we saved your group a lot of time, Ari."

Watari chuckled at this, amused. "Well, you're a dear then."

"Have you guys checked all the places out yet?" Akio asked, curious. "I think we spent this whole time investigating this area."

"A-at least you found something," Masako said, smiling at the actor in reference to the boxes above.

"I guess." Akio shrugged. "I'm guessing you checked all the places out then."

"Y-yes." The survivalist nodded. "T-this is the last place we have to investigate."

"I knew the other groups would finish before us," Yume mumbled, slightly groaning in bemusement. "We took two hours in here, minimum."

"I doubt we took two hours," Akio mused, chuckling slightly. He seemed to be doubting himself on that though.

"Don't worry about it!" Misaki immediately pumped her fist out. "We'll quickly search the other places before returning back! Besides, I want to go to the hot springs with Tomoyo and Masako as soon as possible!"

Masako laughed at this, becoming red. "D-don't rush yourself though."

Misaki threw her a toothy grin, then grabbed Akio's and Yume's hands. She dragged the surprised duo with her over the door and immediately left.

Silence rang in.

Masako awkwardly looked over to the detective. "Uh, I-I guess we searched all the places? S-should we go back?"

Watari shrugged. "I suppose that's our only choice. There's nothing else to investigate anyways, dear."

"A-alright then." The woman smiled softly. "I-I'll go rest in my room then."

The detective nodded. "Mhm, sure."

He watched Masako who left the building. He noticed Shinjimae and Saki who immediately went out after the woman. As expected, Shinjimae refused to speak to him.

Watari released an audible sigh. He frowned slightly as he heard his voice echoing in the empty building. He hated how it resonated.

The detective decided to leave himself. He walked towards the door and opened it, then taking a moment to think to himself before leaving, closing the door behind him. There, he headed back straight to where the main building was and walked inside, back into the hallways and towards a particular place.

He needed to investigate further in the library.

The raven walked towards the library and went inside, pleased to see no one in sight. He easily made himself comfortable as he headed inside and began looking through the shelves in search for any books he hasn't read yet.

He grabbed a few which he saw of particular interest- one being a romance, another being a simple history textbook, and a horror. He then headed to the chair and beginning to invest hours in reading and searching for any clues.

The romance one wasn't anything special to Watari, in all honesty. He wasn't particularly someone who loved reading romance novels, and he found no use in the romance story. The story simply told him about a woman who was kidnapped and a man who had to save her, particularly by joining the kidnapper's group. In the end, it was another cliched, almost overrated ending.

The history textbook seemed to serve of no interest, though Watari still noted a few things in his head. There were a few conspiracy theories which were laid out in the book, particularly one regarding the usual aliens theory, the idea of alternate universes, etc. He found them quite silly, in all honesty, though he found it strange the textbook decided to mention such concepts.

The horror story was another thing which Watari believed may be of use. It was a story where kids murdered their families as a way to showcase their dominance and assert their revenge. These kids began to murder only their families, but slowly they became crazy and began destroying everything around them. A classic story of tragedy and hatred.

Watari sighed, stretching his body. He looked around the room and frowned, noting how much time must've passed by. He reached into his MonoPad and opened it up, then seeing the group chatroom active.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Blanchard: Dinner has been cooked. Please come over to the cafeteria. (06:29 PM)**

 **Misaki: Nice! I was getting hungry! (06:29 PM)**

 **Akio: I'll head over right now. (06:30 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Lol, I wonder what we are going to eat. (06:31 PM)**

 **Masako: Uh, I'll head over too! (06:33 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari sighed. He initially decided on not going, however his stomach growled the moment he wanted to slouch in his seat. He frowned, forfeiting the idea and deciding to head over to the cafeteria.

He headed inside, finding everyone (except for Ayako) in sight, grabbing their food and already eating. Watari noticed Blanchard giving him a kind bow. The detective rolled his eyes as he took his seat, grabbing some salad, rice, and teriyaki salmon pieces before eating.

"So, anyways, like I was saying, I think dark chocolate is better than milk chocolate." Akio grinned as he eyed the look on Tomoyo's face. "What, don't judge me. I kinda like bitter things."

Kyatchi smirked. "You know what else is bitter?"

Yume groaned, feeling the urge to jab at the juggler's side. "Fucking, no."

"I mean, I just like any type of chocolate." Tomoyo awkwardly laughed, eyeing Akio who continued to tease her with his grin. "Dark chocolate's bitter, but dark chocolate usually has much more cocoa than other types of chocolate."

"I-I mean, milk chocolate is mainly filled with butter instead of cocoa," Masako admitted, smiling.

"The fuck." Kyatchi's eyes widened. "Wait, really? Have I been living a lie this whole time? Fucking Hershey's and Kisses, I tell you!"

Yume couldn't help but deadpan, unable to stop herself from slapping her face. "Why are we talking about chocolate anyways?"

"Because Tomoyo told us she loves chocolate!" Misaki announced, surprising Tomoyo who immediately turned beet red.

And, like that, the group seemed quite happy with themselves. This blissful ignorance was definitely needed, especially in a setting where death is on the brink of everyone's faces. Conversing about chocolate, hobbies, and the like- it was definitely an atmosphere that should be lighthearted and fun.

Within time, everyone had finished their food and left the area. Shinjimae and Saki immediately went back to their room, Tomoyo and her friends decided to go to the hot springs and relax, Akio decided to help out Decebel, Kyatchi told the group that he'd do whatever, Yume disappeared (like always), and so everyone went to do their own thing again.

Watari had decided to rest for a bit (and take a shower because, hell, he will not let himself feel like he's been covered in saliva any longer) before the announcement sounded.

"Alright, kiddies, it's time to sleep… Jesus Christ I'm tired…"

The detective decided not to bother questioning why Monokuma sounded like he went to rave a party. If anything, he assumed Monokuma had overworked himself or whatnot.

With that however, the nighttime announcement had sounded, and everyone should be heading over to their rooms to sleep.

The detective eyed his MonoPad and read Akio's message over again. He sighed and moved, heading back outside. He wasn't sure where exactly Akio wanted him go to, and so he decided to stay outside, waiting as he sat down on the soft, beautifully trimmed grass.

The raven looked up at the night sky.

The moon was above. It was a clear night, the moon shining down upon the detective as if greeting him with a kind wave. The stars above were bright and shining, making the night sky perfect despite the blandness of the blackness which painted the entire sight.

He hasn't seen the night sky in a while either. If not the daylight, then the night. Honestly, looking up at the night sky almost entranced him. He wanted to stargaze above and look up without worrying about anything else. It was a beautiful sight, and he'd love to be alone by himself.

The detective noticed the glass door opening. He looked over to find Akio, walking over towards him with a small wave. Watari nodded back in return, deciding to stand up.

"Are we going to stay out here, or should we go into the warehouse?" Watari asked, frowning. "You look like you don't want anyone to see us."

"I mean, I rather not have anyone see us since we'd look suspicious, but…" Akio looked up at the night sky. He smiled softly before looking back to Watari. "I think we'll be fine here."

Watari stared at the actor for a moment, then shrugging and sitting back down. "Whatever you prefer then. Let's make this quick, alright?"

Akio nodded, taking a seat down. He bit into his lips for a second before slowly speaking, softly saying, "I think I owe you an apology."

Watari scoffed. "What's with the sudden change?"

"I guess you can say Tomoyo and Decebel helped me with that." Akio sighed. "I think I've been treating you too harshly since the start. I never liked you since we first met, you know?"

"In the library? Dear, I am very much aware of that." The detective chuckled. "You tend to hate anyone who mocks you."

Akio glanced at the detective for a moment, then shaking his head. "I think we've met before that."

Watari frowned. He turned to eye the actor. "What?"

The actor sighed, looking up at the night sky. "Do you remember the incident I talked you about before?"

"I thought you only heard about it, last time I've been told." Watari glared at the actor. "Why are you bringing up that case again?"

"I'm not here to pry information off from you." Akio raised a hand, making sure Watari wouldn't disrupt him. "I just want to clear that up. You were talking to someone at that time that my friend and I wanted to talk to you."

Watari eyed the actor for a moment, then cupping his chin. "Well… do you know who I was talking to? Dear, I do not remember anything."

"Someone blind. He was holding a cane in order to move around and find things."

Watari's eyes widened. He looked at the actor for a moment, then smirking. "I think I might remember now."

"Yeah?" Akio raised a brow. "Who was that person anyways?"

"It's not of great importance." The detective chuckled. "Anyways, I think I remember now. You were the person who tried to threaten me about bringing the case back up. We had just shutted the case down that time."

Akio nodded slowly. "Yeah. My boss had to stop me since I could've ruined my chances at a main cast role for a movie."

"Nonetheless your career."

The brunette spoke slowly, "That too. I was pissed since you guys took the death of my close friend as nothing."

"It's fine." Watari chuckled. "It's not like I'm bothered if you wanted to kill me. I did allow my executives to make me drop the case."

Akio shook his head. "Still, I owe you an apology. I haven't been treating you fairly ever since we met here."

"No one treats one another fairly," the detective mused. "Don't worry about such little things, dear."

Akio frowned. "I mean, I still don't like the way you're handling things, but I do appreciate you trying to help us."

"I haven't helped anyone." Watari crossed his arms. "If anything, the only thing I've been and will willingly be is a nuisance."

The actor's expression hardened as he took a look at the detective. "... I don't like how you've been treating the others and I still think you're an asshole, but I feel like you being a traitor is you being good."

"So what?" Watari grinned. "You want to be a traitor too?"

"No, that's silly." The brunette nervously laughed. "I just want to know what you think. How to handle Ayako, moving onward… you know."

The detective raised a brow. "I'm assuming you want to take responsibility for the others then."

"Not exactly. I think everyone feels that way, especially Misaki." The actor sighed, scratching his head. "Hitomu really wanted us to get out of here and escape, and one thing I learned from him while watching him is that he never tried to ostracize the others."

"So, you want to ask about Ayako." Watari frowned. "I mean, I think you feel like she deserves her seclusion from everyone."

"... Okay, yeah, that's what I feel, but I'm talking to you personally for a reason." Akio averted his gaze. "I think it's better if we try to understand each other more. I hate her, yeah, but I want to understand her too at least."

"Just tell her what you feel." Watari eyed Akio with a stern gaze. "It is in human nature to be stupid and selfish. Humanity is nothing more than deserving of death, war, and crime."

Watari stood up from his seat, eyeing the actor. He couldn't help but grin, finding himself speaking more from his heart than he expected, "If humanity can escape from their personas and embrace their selfishness and stop acting all high and mighty, then humanity can be worth something."

The detective suddenly pointed at Akio, surprising the taller man. "You will never be able to understand yourself nor anyone else. That's a fact."

Akio frowned. "Watari-"

"Self-actualization is a trait where one understands them fully, but that does not mean they are accepting their 'positive' traits." The detective's expression gloomed. "In order to understand yourself or the world around you at least slightly better than you already do, you need to embrace the fact that you are selfish and want nothing more than to achieve your own personal agenda."

The actor was silent. He was eyeing the detective in shock.

"You hate Ayako, then tell that to her. Announce right in her face. If she cries, then let her cry." Watari frowned, staring at the man. "You want to understand her better, right? Than yell at her and have her yell back at you. Ignoring the problems around you is just playing ignorance."

Akio was completely taken aback.

Watari sighed, noting the silence beginning to come in the area. He wasn't surprised to see the actor eyeing him in a trance of sorts. "Anyways, is that all you wanted to ask from me?"

"Y-yes." Akio found himself unable to keep his composure. "Uh, that's basically all I wanted to ask."

"Really?" Watari eyed the man.

"Yeah." Akio averted his gaze. He was silent for a moment before looking back at the detective and smiling softly. "Thanks for that."

"It's nothing, really. Simple words." Watari shrugged. He began walking away from the actor. "I'll go head back now. Sleep is very much appreciated from me."

And so, Watari went back into the school building and headed straight where his room was.

He went inside, unaware of how much his own words should've resonated with him.

* * *

... And that's it for this chapter! As always, I don't really have much to say other than life is trying to ruin my Internet life XD Anyways, there's nothing much to note on for now, so I'll see you all next time!


	22. Chapter 3 - Part 1, Part B

Hello, and I am back here with another chapter! I hope you all had a great day so far and even though it's morning for me, I still hope you're having fun today! Anyways, enough with that, let's get straight into the chapter!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Halfway point makes me happy, because that's the target goal I had for AoD when I will start Tipsy XD Hehe, yes, no one will mourn Keishi's death other than Shinji! Mwahahaha! Blanchard and Viorel should continue ignoring Ayako. Yes, flower symbolism is adorable~ Shinji needs to be saved from all the suffering, so let's all hug him! Yeet, because I'm still broken from Keishi's death too. Poor Ayako, our dear girl. Kyatchi has great humor bro. Watari and Akio have conflicting philosophies and I want to say philosophical stuff like them too, but I'm too docile to say them XD Hehe, you too!"

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Let's pray for Ayako's safety! Yes, we do! Hehe~"

 **ToonGuy:** "Watari will be our favorite, just kidding~ Annoying people with kindness is the best~ I'm a flirty Watari too. Masako has a cute friendship with Misaki and Tomoyo, hehe! Of course you should worry~ Oh, you jest with that, but yes Masako go be a peacekeeper! Saki is a cutie. Masako is the best! No, Watari is crazy, I agree. Thanks!"

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Aha, how do I review two reviews? I'll just be brief with everything so it's not extra long~ Watari will always be a cynical boy. Poor Shinjimae too! As someone who's been ignored before, it is not a good experience so I do feel bad for Ayako there. Yes, uneventful, hehe~ Watari and Blanchard/Viorel is very interesting. Yes, and I am here to review your review of chapter three. Dream sequences are fun. Tadaomi is a huge factor in Watari's life, upupupu. Poor Akio is being harassed by Kyatchi. Books are fun. Shinji needs help. Yee, new areas. Saki needs help too. Masako needs some happiness. Hehe. Yeet, Akio and Watari's interaction. Very good, I know, just kidding. Let us hope for their safety."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Shyjoker!**

* * *

An adult and a kid. It wasn't a strange pairing, but it was definitely an uncomfortable atmosphere- the kid was sobbing with tattered clothes, and the adult was trying her best to comfort the child.

"You shouldn't feel so bad. It's not your fault."

"But it is my fault. If I hadn't been so stupid, then none of this would've happened! I… I never wanted this."

"You're a young kid. Kids your age should never experience things like this."

"But I did. I… Everything's my fault."

"Ssh, it's okay. It's not your fault. I'm not mad at you. No one is. He isn't mad at you either. You never would've known that would happen. It's not your fault."

"... But I cost him everything. I stripped him of everything he deserved."

"He knew it was dangerous. If it wasn't for his courageous behavior, you would've been either gravely injured, or dead."

"I'd rather die then. It's not like anyone would care."

"Don't say that. Everybody cares about you. Look, how about I take you out for lunch today? I'm sure you're hungry."

"... I guess."

* * *

Watari found himself waking up shortly before the announcement. Somehow, realizing this, he found himself annoyed and grumbling underneath his breath.

 _Great._

The detective wanted to go back to sleep, but he had a feeling that the announcement would deter him, and nonetheless either Decebel, Tomoyo, or maybe even Akio given his recent behavior. Knowing this, Watari hopped off from bed, stretched his muscles out, and swiftly grabbed his MonoPad to quickly check on the notifications.

As always, he noticed that the group chat was active. He decided to skim through the messages, not surprised at all to figure out that Akio and the others wanted to group together again.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Akio: Let's eat together today! (06:56 AM)**

 **Misaki: Yeah, of course! (06:56 AM)**

 **Blanchard: Please do so. Viorel and I are currently preparing the dishes at the moment. (06:57 AM)**

 **Akio: Uh, do you need help? (06:57 AM)**

 **Blanchard: No, that is fine, Master Blaise. (06:58 AM)**

 **Akio: Uh, alright then. (06:58 AM)**

 **Akio: Anyways, head over to the cafeteria today! (06:58 AM)**

 **Misaki: Alright~ (06:59 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: / (06:59 AM)**

 **Akio: Wtf. (06:59 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

As if timed, the morning announcement sounded.

"Hello, asswipes! Welcome back to your amazing school! Go learn and shit now, do it! I demand you!"

Watari slightly noted how more obnoxious the bear sounded. Then again, he figured, the bear had-

"Also, please come to the auditorium and shit! I wanna announce something!"

-the motive. The detective frowned. He wondered what it was, but at the same time his mind was still focused on the overall picture of a few things- why was there a killing game, who Monokuma exactly is, and their location's purpose. Nonetheless, he wanted to know why the library apparently held all sorts of potential evidence and theories to the overall picture. Everything was suspicious.

Watari sighed as the announcement ended. He knew there was going to be a commotion in the group chatroom, so he decided to ignore it for the time being and checked on the other messages sent to him.

First, he checked the message Akio sent to him. He honestly shouldn't have been surprised that the actor decided to talk to him, but considering how his eyes widened, he definitely was shocked.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Akio)**

 **Akio: Thank you for yesterday. It helped me. (06:31 AM)**

 **Akio: I'm planning on talking to Ayako today and bringing her with me to the cafeteria for breakfast. (06:31 AM)**

 **Akio: I'll try to be honest with her. (06:32 AM)**

 **Akio: I know some people won't be happy with her around, but I'll see what I can do. (06:32 AM)**

 **Akio: Uhh, you don't need to answer me. (06:32 AM)**

 **Akio: I just wanted to tell you this. (06:33 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari frowned as he read the messages. He couldn't help but roll his eyes as he swiftly left Akio's messages. He noticed that Blanchard and Viorel had messaged him as well, most likely wanting him to be at the breakfast table with them.

 _Everyone's so annoying._

The detective would rather not have anyone see him look like a mess however, so he quickly jumped off from his bed and went to the restroom to change and brush his teeth. He made sure he didn't waste too much time as he splashed water on his face and hastily dried it. There, he opened the door and left to the auditorium, remembering what Monokuma had said.

Everyone was present inside of the room. People such as Misaki and Akio were annoyed about Monokuma's sudden disruption, and then there were people like Yume and Kyatchi who either looked like they didn't care or slightly did care. Shinjimae, meanwhile, was on the corner with Saki. He didn't dare to speak to anyone, especially Ayako who seemed to latch onto Akio.

Watari raised a brow at the sight. He figured he should walk over to speak to Akio and Ayako, especially since he hasn't seen the woman yesterday, but he found himself being stopped by Tomoyo who grabbed his sleeve.

"I didn't expect you to make a move," the detective spoke softly, looking over at the woman. He smirked at the screenwriter as he noticed the disgust on her face that she obviously tried to hide. He swiftly ignored that strange feeling of disappointment on his heart. "What did you want to speak about, dear?"

Tomoyo gulped. She was hesitant for a moment, averting her gaze. It didn't take long before she turned to look at him though. "... Did Monokuma tell you anything about the motive?"

"I can either give you the actual answer or the false one." Watari frowned, eyeing the woman. "Which one do you think I'll say?"

Tomoyo was silent. She seemed hesitant on letting the man go, but released her grip on him and walked over to where Misaki and Masako were.

Watari sighed inwardly to himself, rolling his eyes. He decided to not bother any longer- Monokuma suddenly jumped out of the stage and waved happily to his audience, after all.

"Hello, hello, hello!" The overseer was smiling happily at the crowd, almost as if he were a ruler of some sorts. "Hello, it's me, Monokuma! I'm back with a motive to present you all with."

"What if we don't want it?" Kyatchi asked. "I'm getting bored of all of this."

"What?! Don't say shit like that!" Monokuma gasped, scoffing. "I am outright offended, my dear Kya! You spoke such cruel words!"

"I don't think he really cares," Yume mused, crossing her arms. "He never really cared about your feelings in the first place anyways."

"You and him both," Monokuma said, rolling his eyes. He didn't seem to be offended anymore, for his usual grin was back and plastered on his face. "Anyways, I'll just give you all your motive and be done with this. I'm very interested in seeing what you guys think!"

"Can we not do this?" Ayako was heard silently mumbling to herself. "I don't want this."

Misaki gritted her teeth, growling at Monokuma. "Bastard."

"Alright, I handed it out." Monokuma looked at the dumbfounded Ultimates. He eyed them for a moment before groaning. "Are you guys that stupid? It's in your MonoPads, duh! Look!"

Everyone's eyes widened at this, and, almost in sync, everyone reached for their MonoPads.

A frown escaped the detective's face. His heart was beating. His stomach was churning. Unease was written all over his face. Watari shook his head and took his MonoPad out, immediate. The moment he had opened the device, he found himself dumbfounded.

Right there, on the screen, was a simple profile picture of Decebel. The screen was dark and everything was a navy blue color other than the butler's profile. There was a timer ticking down at the top of the profile, numbers bolded in white and ticking down from 71:59:46.

 _A little less than three days… This is…_

Watari quickly looked up at the bear. The overseer was smirking at him, and the detective couldn't help but smirk back. "Let me guess, dear- you want us to the kill the person on our screens under three days."

Monokuma grinned. He reeled his head back and laughed, overjoyed. "Hahahaha! You're a smart cookie, Watari! Ahahahahahaha! Well! That's right. That's exactly right!"

Masako's eyes widened at this. She couldn't help but pale, almost freezing up in place. "T-there's just no way…"

"I don't see why we should listen to this shit though," Kyatchi began, stopping Monokuma from laughing any further. The juggler took the moment to stare down at the overseer. "Why would you want us to kill someone under a time limit? What's in it for everyone anyways?"

Yume shook her head. "I think it's obvious, Kyatchi."

The juggler turned to look at the woman. "Yeah, what? He'll explode us all? Fine with me. I rather die anyways."

"Maybe for you, but I don't think everyone else would like that." Yume took a careful look at everyone inside of the room. She sighed softly before continuing, "I think if we kill whoever's on our screen, we'll be let go."

Akio frowned. "Let go?"

"Yup, Yume sweetie basically has everything down." Monokuma chuckled, now calmer with his posture straight and smile slightly less mischievous- slightly. "Basically, kill your designated target under three days and I will let you go, all without a trial."

Misaki's mouth hung agape. "What?!"

"You must be joking with us." Viorel frowned, looking dismayed at the bear's leisure. "You have something on your sleeve, I'm betting."

"Not really? One person being let go out of many is fine with me." The bear shrugged, waving Viorel off without a care. "It's basically this- if you have the balls to kill someone, or waste that opportunity and have everyone die instead."

Viorel raised a brow. "So, the time limit does mean something other than just wasting a motive."

"I mean, you guys wouldn't care if so." Monokuma smirked, turning to eye the group as a whole. He took a step towards them. "So, basically, here's the run through- kill your designated target under three days and I will let you go free without a trial, or waste the opportunity and have everyone including you die instead."

"That's not even fair!" Misaki cried out, gritting her teeth. Veins were popping out of her forehead, the woman furious. "How can we even trust you?!"

Monokuma rolled his eyes, sighing. "Kids are so suspicious of each other nowadays, even to kind people like me."

"Uh, you're not human," Yume commented, deadpanning.

"You know what I mean." Monokuma scoffed. "Anyways, kiddies, you can't tell each other who your target is… no matter what. If there is any mention of what your target looks like or shit, then punishment will come by immediately."

Kyatchi smirked. "What kind of punishment?"

"You're a weird one, Kya," the bear snorted. "So, tell anyone or even mention anything about who your target is, and punishment will come. Kill your target under three days, and you will get by without a trial. Don't, and everyone dies. Is that clear?"

Yume frowned, averting her gaze. "No."

Monokuma smiled and clapped his hands together. "Good! Now that that's clear, it's time to take my leave! I'll see you all later!"

Akio's eyes widened. "Hey, wait a second, Monokuma-!"

The bear suddenly vanished from thin air. He was gone, and silence immediately loomed into the room.

"Fucking…" Akio shook his head, scratching his head out of frustration. "Shit, another motive already?"

"Well, we all know what that means!"

Everyone turned to look at Kyatchi. The juggler was smirking dryly at the group, sarcasm and ill-intent written all over his face.

Tomoyo gulped. She felt uneasy at the man's simper. "Kyatchi, are you okay?"

"Ha!" Kyatchi reeled his head out. "Of course not! Don't you know what this whole shit means?"

Yume squinted. "He's gone crazy," she mumbled to herself.

The juggler's dry smirk never once faded from his face. "I'm not. I just want to point something out." Kyatchi immediately brought a finger out, causing everyone to follow it and freeze in place. "Her."

He was pointing straight at Ayako.

"I don't really give a damn if I die, but it's something to note, right?" Kyatchi's expression became bitter immediately as he turned to eye Ayako, straight into her eyes. "Another motive means another death, and that means she's going to go back on cray-cray land."

"K-Kyatchi!" Tomoyo stepped forward, shaking her head drastically. "Let's not say stuff like that! Please."

"But that's the truth." The juggler frowned. "Don't you think precautions should be taken about her? She may as well bring us all to our death out of vengeance or just kill and escape for herself at this point."

Tomoyo stumbled in her steps. She didn't want to believe that, but her expression told him everything. "I-I…"

"Tomoyo, I'm sorry, but I have to agree with Kyatchi." Misaki gave the screenwriter a kind, gentle look. She grabbed ahold of the shorter woman's shoulders and pushed her softly to the side. "I think Ayako shouldn't be allowed here."

Ayako didn't even speak at this point. She was simply silent, hiding behind Akio who was worriedly looking at the group.

"S-shouldn't we give her another chance though?" Akio began, giving the others a worried smile. "She can still change and apologize to us."

"You're bullshitting with us." Kyatchi threw Akio a disappointed look. "After she had Wakana and the others killed? Weren't those guys your friends?"

Yume averted her gaze. "Yeah, especially Wakana."

Akio gritted his teeth. "Yeah, but if Decebel was willing to apologize for his actions, then-"

"Blaise." Misaki threw the actor an indifferent, almost cold look. "That's different. They didn't cause Keishi and Hitomu's deaths."

"What?" Akio's face paled. Sweat trickled down from his chin and he threw a hand out. "Guys, you must be kidding with me. Look, I spoke to Ayako and she told me she feels bad for what she did! Let's just give her a chance!"

Tomoyo bit into her lip and looked away. "I…"

"There's nothing that can be done to make up for Wakana and the others' deaths, I know that!" Akio clenched into his fists, breaths becoming shallower by the second. "But I think that in order for us to even be able to stop Monokuma, we need to at least try to get along and understand each other!"

"So you forgave her." Kyatchi snorted. "That's pathetic."

"I don't forgive her for what she did, but that doesn't mean we can't ignore her." Akio glared angrily at the juggler. "I told her she's worth nothing more than trash in my eyes and that I rather have her dead instead of Keishi last night."

Kyatchi's eyes widened. He looked shockingly at Akio, then at Ayako. The fashion model immediately looked away from him.

Akio scoffed, pointing at the group. "Instead of playing cat and mice with one another, let's all try to cooperate and be honest with each other."

Tomoyo gulped as she looked at the actor. She looked over at Ayako before slowly turning to eye Misaki and Masako.

Masako awkwardly averted her gaze, shaking. "I-I don't know…"

Misaki seemed hesitant, but noticing the glare Akio threw at her, she couldn't help but flinch and awkwardly smile. "Well… I mean, if you're that adamant on it, then alright. As long as she doesn't cause us trouble."

"I'm not willing to trust her nonetheless," Kyatchi mused, rolling his eyes. "It's a miracle she even has you by her side, Blaisey."

Akio shook his head. "Don't get the wrong idea. This is all for the sake of keeping us safe."

"That sounds hypocritical and ironic, but sure." Kyatchi shrugged. "Whatever you say, Mr. Actor."

With all the commotion happening about, Watari couldn't help but notice Shinjimae and Saki. Shinjimae was peeved at what was happening, his eyes staring at Ayako in dismay. Saki was comforting him, and Watari knew the animal whisperer did not like where this went at all.

Watari inwardly sighed to himself. He felt like he was at fault for this. Maybe Akio would've tried to get everyone to speak to Ayako no matter if he talked to him or not, but nonetheless the detective felt responsible.

"What should we do now though?" Tomoyo asked, scratching her head. "With the whole motive and all, I mean."

"I propose we should eat," Blanchard mused. He bowed down courteously at the group. "Food should refill our energy and desire to move around."

Misaki snapped her fingers. "Oh, I have an idea."

Kyatchi raised a brow, idly playing with his bandannas. "Uhuh. What's up?"

Misaki grinned and threw her arms up suddenly, screaming loudly, "Alright guys! We are going to have a pool party!"

Yume frowned. "Wait, what?"

The juggler snorted, laughing. "Really? After the whole murder and motive fiasco? What a way to break the tension here."

"It's a good way to break the ice and all that jazz!" Misaki cried, defending herself. "We can do it later since I'm pretty sure we're hungry and all. Besides, don't you guys want to have fun swimming and all that?"

Akio raised a brow, curious. "I mean, true, but it depends if everyone else wants to go. I don't mind if we throw a pool party. It'll take our mind off things."

"Exactly!" The surgeon nodded her head excitedly. "So, who's in?"

Tomoyo smiled softly at her friend. "Well, I don't mind. I've always wanted to try swimming in the pool here, haha."

Masako nodded. "Mhm. I-I haven't gone swimming in years either…"

"Wait, seriously?" Misaki's eyes widened. "Woah, Masako, we are so going to make this the best pool party ever then."

"Hehe, thanks." Masako blushed a faint red hue.

Blanchard bowed his head down. "If a pool party is what everybody prefers, then Viorel and I are more than willing to accompany you all."

"Can't you just think for yourself for once?" Kyatchi groaned, but sighed and nodded his head. "I don't care. Whatever you guys do, it's not my business."

"I rather sleep," Yume murmured, stretching her arms out. "But fine. You guys would bother me anyways, so I'll just sleep when I'm there."

Watari smirked at the nihilist. "Careful though, dear. Kyatchi might throw you overboard."

Kyatchi laughed, hearing what the detective had said. "Ha, you wound me. I would never do such a thing to her."

The detective chuckled. "You sure about that?"

Kyatchi seemed more than amused, nodding his head. He definitely didn't seem that annoyed now, simply tugging at his bandannas.

Akio glanced down at Ayako. "You're okay with this, right?"

Ayako bit into her lips. She nodded her head slowly, averting her gaze with a soft voice saying, "Yeah."

Blanchard cleared his throat. "I think we should go eat first. We can focus on the pool party later when the time comes."

"Oh." Misaki's eyes widened. "Right!"

With that settled, everyone left to go to the cafeteria. Watari noticed instantly that Shinjimae stayed at the back with Saki, a pace away from the group. The detective wondered if he should speak to the animal whisperer, but said nothing and refused to allow himself to feel sorry for the man. He moved on.

The detective noticed as he walked on that Ayako was walking over to him. Watari inwardly frowned and slowed his movement, making sure no one would be near to hear them, if not at least most of what Ayako seemed to want to say.

"I… I heard you talked to Blaise," she began, speaking softly. She looked a bit worried, eyes averted away and face still slightly sickly. She seemed to have cried a lot during the past few days.

"I wouldn't say talk necessarily. He wanted me to say something, so I did." Watari shrugged, eyeing the model curiously. "Did he actually follow my advice and called you out?"

Ayako's eyes were slightly wet from tears. "I-I guess so. He called me a lot of mean things."

"Yeah, my bad," the detective amusingly hummed. He then looked at her closely for a moment as their movements became slower. "... You do realize that what Aki said won't be enough to get you back in the group, right?"

Ayako nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "I know. I was just scared to admit everything and I ended up doing all of those things… It's a miracle he even tried to talk to me."

"I didn't help him because I wanted to." Watari immediately shoved down the woman's words. He instantly knew what she was going to do, and he didn't want to hear it. "Aki's just a wet ball of emotions. If anything, you should be thanking him."

Ayako bit into her lips. "Anything I say doesn't cause attention anymore. They all ignore me now."

Watari chuckled, smirking slightly. "Yeah, because nothing revolves around anyone entirely."

The group made it to the cafeteria, and immediately Akio went to help Decebel with the plates. Giving it to each Ultimate, everyone sat down as the butler revealed a whole tray of dishes in hand- from pancakes, Belgian waffles, steamed fish, everything was there on display.

"This looks amazing!" Misaki was always one to compliment, her eyes sparkling and mouth drooling. "You're such a great chef!"

Kyatchi simply shrugged as he plopped a strawberry in his mouth. "Must've learned a lot on how to cook in your past, eh."

"Certainly," Viorel mused, smirking at the juggler. "We worked a lot during our time back then."

"Hm. Maybe you should be the Ultimate Chef while you're at it," Yume said, mumbling as she ate into her piece of bread.

Tomoyo smiled slightly as she eyed the food on her plate. "You always cook for us, Decebel."

"It's not that big of a deal, Master Tomoyo." Blanchard smiled kindly at the woman. "It isn't a deal at all. It's natural for Viorel and I to treat you all, after all."

Tomoyo shrugged. "I mean, still… You two are doing so much for us. You stay up early and all."

Misaki grinned, leaning forward to Tomoyo whose eyes widened. The surgeon snickered as she pointed at the woman's face. "From what I can hear, it sounds like you want to cook food yourself."

"W-well, I mean, I don't want to owe them," the woman shyly admitted. She blushed and quickly shook her head, looking at the butler now. "If anything, I'll help you cook tomorrow."

Blanchard's raised a brow. "You do not feel the need to do that, Master Tomoyo. Viorel and I are perfectly content doing what we're supposed to do."

"No, I think I'll help you out." Tomoyo frowned, eyeing the enormous man. "I can't let you do everything."

Blanchard seemed hesitant, but noticing the determination and obvious look of stubbornness on the screenwriter's face, he simply bowed his head down and nodded. "Well, if that is what you prefer, then I will accept that."

Kyatchi grinned. He suddenly leaned over and threw an arm around Watari. "How about you? Don't you want to be useful for once and help those guys out?"

"No, I don't," Watari bluntly stated, shutting down the man. "I'm not exactly here to help anyone, after all."

"Well, let's not worry about tomorrow," Akio mused, chuckling at the sight. "We have to worry about our little gathering at the pool later."

"It'll be fun!" Misaki exclaimed, throwing her hands up. She looked over to Masako and grinned eagerly at the survivalist. "Hehe, I can tell you're really excited~"

Masako blushed, quickly averting her gaze and hiding her face. "I-is it that obvious…?"

The surgeon laughed. "Yup!"

Akio chuckled. He turned to look over at Shinjimae. "Saki could swim too, right?"

"H-huh? I… erm…" Shinjimae was shocked that the actor even looked over to him. He couldn't help but fluster about awkwardly before finally regaining his composure and nodding his head, all the while having slightly bitten his tongue. "Y-yes, she could…"

"Let's race her," Kyatchi suddenly said, snickering. "It'll be a miracle if someone can beat a doggie."

Misaki playfully rolled her eyes. "Pfft, we can't even run as fast as a dog can."

"Too lazy to even try," Yume reported, shaking her head with a sigh. "You guys can go ahead and make yourselves look pathetic though."

The juggler smirked at the nihilist, teasing, "Don't be such a sour puss."

"Seems like we have a lot of ideas." Akio smiled. He looked over at Ayako. "Is there anything you want to do?"

Ayako shook head head, biting into her lips. "Not really. Anything you guys do is fine."

Akio's face saddened at this, but he shook his head and looked over to the group. "Well, I'm sure we'll have fun nonetheless if we plan things out or not."

Tomoyo smiled and nodded. "Have you tried the hot springs out? It's really relaxing to be there."

"Ooh, I haven't tried yet." Akio laughed. "I should though. I haven't been to a hot springs since months now."

The screenwriter thought for a moment, then snapping her fingers and pointing to the brunette. "Oh, weren't you supposed to go to India to fund an organization there?"

"Yeah, I was supposed to." The actor awkwardly scratched his head. "I'm surprised you knew though. I didn't want anyone to know since it's just charity work."

Tomoyo chuckled. "I'm in the entertainment industry."

"Yeah, I'm guessing my friends or managers tipped everyone off then." The actor shrugged, chuckling. "Oh well. I'm not worried about that, but I feel bad since I should've gone there a few days ago after I finished acting in another scene for a movie."

"But we got stuck here." Yume nodded her head slowly. "It's not you knew this was going to happen, so it's fine."

Akio laughed, if not slightly embarrassed. "Ha, yeah…"

"Guess I get to learn more about you," Misaki mused, grinning at the actor. "This is great. I'm sure we'll learn more about each other when we hang out at the pool too!"

"Wow, ain't that fun," Kyatchi sarcastically mumbled.

Everyone seemed to be in better spirits. Even after what Monokuma said about the motive, everyone was obviously trying to ignore it in turn for the excitement of the swimming pool. Everyone ate their food eagerly, and within time everyone had finished and Decebel and Akio left to do the dishes.

Misaki grabbed ahold of Tomoyo and Masako's arms, bringing them close to her. She grinned as she looked at the group. "We'll head over to the swimming pool first and change!"

"Oh, don't go swimming without us!" Kyatchi cried out, yelling at the trio of women who bolted out of the door. The juggler sighed and scratched his head. He seemed slightly peeved. "I wonder if they know it's bad to swim right after eating."

"Surprised you even care," Yume retorted, eyeing the man.

He chuckled as he looked at the nihilist. "I wouldn't say caring, but rather, acting like I care? Yeah, that's it."

Watari crossed his arms. He watched the scene ahead of him before noticing Ayako walking over to the door. Since he stood near the door, he noticed that the fashion model was speaking to him.

"I'll head over later," she murmured.

Watari nodded his head, smirking amusingly. "Fine with me. If anything, if you come late, you'll just make yourself look even more suspicious, or you'll have Aki and the others running at your door."

Ayako sighed and left the room.

Watari looked over to find Shinjimae and Saki alone. He wondered if the duo would leave, but he figured they wouldn't since he was close to the door. He sighed as he looked back to Yume and Kyatchi.

Kyatchi seemed more than amused at what he said to Yume. The nihilist was eyeing him strangely as he walked out the door. He looked over at the detective and brought a hand to his shoulder, saying, "If you want to see me juggle chainsaws in the swimming pool too, give me a holler."

Watari raised a brow. "Wait, what?"

The juggler snickered and left the room. The detective couldn't help but look back to wath Kyatchi leave, unsure of what he had just heard.

 _He's always a strange one, that guy._

Watari sighed. He scratched his head for a moment, wondering what to do. Noticing that Shinjimae seemed more than willing to leave with Saki, and that enigma named Yume was now aimlessly sitting back down at the table, the detective decided he should leave and go to the swimming pool.

 _The swimming pool is a bit far away from here anyways. Besides, there's not much to investigate here concerning Yume's lack of desire to be comprehensible and Shinji's desire to avoid me._

Another thought ran through his head, but he quickly shoved that aside. He was never one to apologize easily, nonetheless was rarely one who apologized. If anything, he made enemies and lacked the sympathy to care for them. If they hated him, he couldn't care less. They always ended up trying to hurt him anyways.

… _I wouldn't be surprised if he asked Saki to attack me or something. Hm, maybe I should start being near people so I won't die. Heh._

Watari stretched his arms for a moment. He rubbed his blood red eyes before looking around the room. Nothing in view, the detective finally headed outside and made his way over to the swimming pool.

The Sun was hanging high in the air. Sunlight was hitting him against his face, against his body.

It was warm. It made Watari relax under the sunlight. Truly, it was truly something he enjoyed- the Sun's rays hitting his face, and him in complete silence.

The only downside to this, however, was obviously the fact he was trapped inside of a school, and the people he would have to be around.

A sigh escaped his lips, and he continued making his way over to the swimming pool. He spent a few minutes just walking, a few thoughts circling on the situation filling his head. It did made his head hurt for a while, but once he blanked his mind he relaxed and finally found himself staring at the entrance of the building to the pool.

He opened the door and headed inside. He wondered if he should change into his swimwear, and, although worrying that Monokuma would be tactless with swimwear, the detective decided there was no harm in what he did and looked for his cubby.

The detective easily found his cubby and opened it, finding his swimwear and other objects. He wondered if he truly needed the sunscreen and the like, but then frowned as he took the moment to stare at the dark blue and violet striped board shorts inside.

 _I'm not going to go swimming anyways, but whatever._

Watari sighed underneath his breath and grabbed his swimwear. He headed inside the changing room and began to change. He took a while to unbutton his clothing, noting how it was somewhat formal to the naked eye. He took out his vest and unbuttoned his collared shirt, then folding it neatly and opening up his locker. He placed his clothes inside, then putting his folded pants and shoes, then wore his swimwear. He had scurried around the locker to check if he can wear a loose hoodie or something, but found nothing.

The detective couldn't help but pout inwardly. He hated showing off skin for the simple reason of embarrassment and need for privacy, and so he resorted to throwing his towel over his shoulder. It hid something at least, or so he wanted to believe.

Seeing that he seemed to be done, he closed the locker room and headed outside the changing room. There, he began walking straight into the swimming pool. There seemed to be no one who was swimming at the moment, although he did notice Tomoyo and her friends near the vending machines. He was not surprised at all, surprisingly enough, to see the women flocking over what was on display.

"I wonder how you get those?" Misaki asked, pointing her finger over to the machines. She was wearing a simple white two-piece swimsuit, her black hair then tied into a loose high bun. "We don't have cash around."

"Yeah… I-I forgot we had to pay for these things," Masako murmured, wearing a navy blue bikini. Her hair was tied into a braided bun. "Y-you think we should ask Monokuma, uh, Misaki?"

Tomoyo shook her head, frowning as her ponytailed hair swept around to her movements. She was wearing a red swimdress, a black ribbon tied around her waist. "Maybe we can exchange something?"

"Like what?" Misaki frowned, cupping her chin. "Hm… like a finger for a drink?!"

Masako jumped at this, staring at the woman in shock. "M-Misaki, no!"

Watari sighed. He walked over to the group, slightly annoyed that the white slippers he was wearing was speaking on the ground. "Maybe you should break it."

"Oh!" Masako's eyes widened at Watari's appearance. "I-I didn't know you were here already."

Misaki grinned, looking at the detective. She walked over to the man and threw an arm around him, obviously taking advantage of her taller height. "You look nice, Ari! So cute~"

Watari deadpanned at the woman. "I do not need to be complimented, Misa."

"Aww, you called me Misa!" Misaki immediately brought Watari closer to her, surprising the detective who began trying to leave her side. She began happily ruffling the man's hair. "Look at you, Ari! Just look at you! You're cuter than you think, y'know?"

"L-let go of me!" Watari quickly shoved the woman to the side, slightly flushed of his color. He scoffed and averted his gaze, bringing the towel back in its original spot. "Geez."

Misaki smiled, uncaring about the man's expression. She simply took a step back to look at Watari, noticing the towel. "You're getting ready to go swim, aren't you?"

"I'm not," the detective said, sighing.

Masako smiled softly at Watari. "W-well, once everyone comes, w-we can all swim together."

"I wonder if we should race," Tomoyo mused, looking over to her friends. "I want to see which one of us is the fastest."

"Trying to show off, huh!" Misaki chuckled, grinning at Tomoyo who awkwardly laughed in return. "If anything though, I feel like Masa will beat us."

"O-oh please, you flatter me." Masako's face was entirely red.

Watari sighed, taking a look over to the vending machines. He eyed it for a moment before frowning, crossing his arms. "Hm, I don't think you need to pay anything."

"Oh, really?" Tomoyo worriedly looked over at the detective. "Please don't tell me you want us to break it."

Watari snickered, walking over to the machines. "Nothing of the like, sweetie."

He proceeded to smashed his hand at the machine. A moment passed. The vending machine suddenly whirred, and bold green letters began to show up near the code of numbers to the side- 'Select Your Drink Here'.

Watari glanced over at the screenwriter. "Which one do you want?"

"H-huh? Oh." Tomoyo shook her head and smiled. "I don't need anything-"

"Heh, you're such a liar." Watari proceeded to select one of the drinks, putting its number down. The machine whirred and suddenly a drink fell down. He opened the cubby and took it out- it was a chocolate milk drink. He waved it at Tomoyo whose eyes widened.

"Uh, wait, I don't need it."

Watari grinned and instantly threw it, catching Tomoyo off guard who caught it. "I know you like chocolate," he began, "and the fact you were staring at it the whole time earlier made it obvious."

Tomoyo glanced at the drink for a moment, then blushed and slowly proceeded to open it. "Thanks," she murmured softly. "Do you-"

"I don't need anything." Watari immediately waved the woman off. "You shouldn't feel the need to 'owe' me or something. I always have nothing but bad intentions, dear."

Tomoyo went silent, unsure of what to say.

Before anyone else could say anything, Akio opened the door, revealing himself with Decebel at his side.

"Oh, you guys are here already." Akio smiled as he waved to the group, at ease wearing his light green swim trunks with a silhouette of a sunset on display. Watari couldn't help but wonder if the actor was used to revealing himself so easily because of his work, though at the same time it was probably just because Watari hated showing himself.

"Looking spicy," Misaki commented with ease, winking at the actor who laughed at her playfully.

"Master Misaki, please don't try flirting with people," Blanchard said, eyeing the surgeon. He seemed slightly embarrassed to see the woman in her swimsuit.

Misaki eyed the butler for a moment, then grinning and pointing at him. She winked at him with much ease. "It's alright. I find you pretty hot too."

Blanchard looked down at his red-and-white striped trunks. He sighed and shook his head, wanting to hide his face using the white waterproof hat he wore. "I appreciate the comment, but please don't try to play mind games here."

The surgeon laughed. "Yup, gotcha~"

Akio looked around the area for a moment, then placing down the sunscreen and towel to a nearby chair. "I'm guessing the others are coming soon."

"I-I would assume so." Masako smiled at the actor. "O-oh, right, you should go t-try out the hot springs."

Akio nodded and turned to the survivalist, at ease once he placed down the water guns and beach balls in his hands. "Yeah, I'll do that later. Thanks for reminding me."

The woman nodded her head in return. "I-it's not a problem."

"Yo." Kyatchi poked his head inside, pointing finger guns at the group. He smirked at the group and made his way inside the area, wearing a black wetsuit. Noticing the group eyeing his wear, he couldn't help but sigh. "What, I'm not going to wear some swim trunks and show you all some skin. I have tact unlike you lot."

Tomoyo turned to eye Misaki and Masako. "How deep are the waters again?"

"Deep enough for an Olympic swimmer to gawk their head at." Misaki chuckled. "I think around eighteen feet deep, especially around the middle of the pool."

"Well, yeah, they're usually that deep." Akio was putting on his goggles, moving the sides of his hair around his earlobes. "Not where the stairs are that's for sure."

"I mean, this pool literally is an Olympic-sized one," Tomoyo admitted, taking a look at the area. "I guess students competitively swim here."

Yume came inside the area, sighing as she wore a simple white swimdress. "I'm actually here. What a miracle, right?"

Kyatchi laughed as he looked at the woman. "Great, now people won't have to knock on your door to force you here."

The nihilist shrugged. "I'm just going to relax on a seat or something and sleep."

Akio couldn't help but eye Yume worriedly. "You sure Kyatchi won't try to throw you in the pool while you sleep?"

Yume thought for a moment. She shrugged and went to a seat, laying down. "I'll kill him if he does."

"Welp, I'm scared." Kyatchi chuckled, amused. "Time to think of pranking someone else."

Ayako was the next person to come inside, slowly making her way over to where Akio was. She was wearing a cute one piece, pastel pink and peach swirls surrounding her entire wear.

Akio looked over to the woman and smiled. "Yo."

"Uh, hello." Ayako gave the actor an awkward smile before she headed over to a nearby chair to sit down. She began lazing about, kicking her white-ribboned laced slippers back and forth.

The last person came inside within minutes. Shinjimae was walking inside, wearing a loose bright green hoodie and rainbow, swirly, light blue trunks. He was next to Saki who was wearing a yellow life jacket. The animal whisperer shyly looked at the group before quickly bowing his head down and looking away with Saki nearby.

"Alright, it seems like everyone's here!" Misaki threw her hands up. "Let's go!"

Misaki immediately hurled herself into the pool. She swam about happily, popping her head out of the water and urging everyone to follow.

Tomoyo grinned. She nodded over to Masako and the duo followed suit, jumping into the pool and swimming around Misaki.

Akio chuckled as he threw a beach ball over to the pool. He smiled over at Decebel who nodded and headed over to swim. The actor was excited and dived in, splashing water eagerly at Misaki.

"Ooh, you devil!" Misaki gave the actor a toothy grin. She stole one of the water guns which were floating on the water. She began quickly filling it up and shooting at the man.

"Hey, wait for me!" Kyatchi rubbed his hands evilly as he ran over to the warzone. He immediately filled up a gun himself and shot it over at Ayako who was at a seat. He laughed once he saw her shocked face. "Ha! Gotcha, fiend!"

"K-Kyatchi!" Ayako was shocked, dumbfounded. She was wondering what to do, but noticing Akio urging her over, and the obvious want from Kyatchi to take his vengeance on her, Ayako sighed and decided to head over to the pool.

"Well then!" Misaki began shooting at the fashion model. "Let's get her!"

Akio smiled happily at this, then looking over to Watari and barely avoiding a splash of water to his face. "You should join us."

Watari shook his head. "I think I'm fine."

"Well, whatever you say-" Akio proceeded to get splashed right in the face.

Watari sighed as he watched the battle in front of him. He noticed how the group seemed to just throw everything aside in order to have fun, and so the detective chuckled and headed over to take a seat. He noticed Shinjimae who was laying with Saki on a faraway corner, then Yume who was calmly sleeping in her seat. Watari wondered if she'd ever swim or not during the course of the day.

Watari laid down on his seat, bringing the towel over his body. Finding himself at ease, he decided he would bathe underneath the sunlight. He enjoyed the rays on him, after all.

He could hear all the screaming and exclaiming from the group. He knew the group were having fun, hearing Kyatchi scream about wanting to drown himself as Tomoyo instantly shut him down. He wasn't even sure if he should worry about what was happening, especially if Misaki was screaming for Masako's life as Viorel shot at her. The group even lost track of who was winning so far.

Watari closed his eyes. Despite knowing how chaotic everything was, the sunlight shining down upon him relaxed him. There was a part of him which wanted him to go back and investigate on the killing game, but another part of him just told him to rest for the time being. He was stuck between two sides of the coin, and Watari honestly just wanted to blank out his mind at the moment.

He didn't know how many hours passed by. He might've found himself taking naps here and there between the hours. He heard tons of chaos the group gotten themselves into. He would hear Tomoyo screaming out of embarrassment over Masako throwing her for a piggyback ride. He would hear Akio screaming at Kyatchi to not throw a sleeping Yume overboard, and he would also hear Shinjimae crying over at Saki who splashed excitedly at Misaki, causing the woman to squeal from shock.

Watari wasn't sure what was happening now, but he snapped out of his trance to find himself being raised by Kyatchi and Misaki. Watari's eyes widened as he looked back to the duo. "Wait a second! I can't-!"

It was too late. Watari was thrown straight into the waters.

However, they seemed to have thrown him a bit too far then they realized, for Watari immediately fell straight into the middle of the pool.

Watari's heart was racing. He found his vision blurring as his ears began to ring. He could faintly hear voices from above, his mind hazy. The waters were choking him, suffocating him. Instantly did Watari regret not telling anyone about his lack of ability to swim, nonetheless him being here in the first place.

 _I knew I should've stayed in my room._

Watari wanted to sigh, feeling cold within seconds. He was slowly falling into unconsciousness, and he faintly saw someone reaching for him through the waters.

A voice called out for him, and Watari couldn't say anything before he fell victim to unconsciousness.

* * *

A few hours or so might've passed. He wasn't sure. He wouldn't know nonetheless.

Watari found himself slowly waking up to find a bright light shining down upon him. He winced at its brightness, almost hissing at it.

The cold air struck him. He found himself slightly chilly, shaking a bit. It seemed like his body was slightly wet, his hair moist. He frowned as he remembered, slowly registering what happened earlier.

Watari glanced down, eyeing the blankets which were obviously used for patients. He found himself inside of the infirmary, noting the roughness of the bed he was laying in and the loose white shirt and white short he was put in.

He groaned as he forced himself to sit up. There, he suddenly found himself eyeing Misaki (who was now in her usual attire) who had noticed him instantly. Her face lit up as she stood up from her seat, hands clapped as she immediately flocked to the man.

"You're awake! Thank God." Misaki smiled happily as she looked at the raven. "How are you? We tried to dry your body and hair, but I guess you'd still be cold, huh?"

Watari eyed the woman for a moment, then averting his gaze. "What time is it?"

"Around midnight or so." Misaki awkwardly scratched her head. "Uh, sorry about what happened earlier. We didn't know you couldn't swim."

Watari shook his head. He hated how the woman was treating him like a patient. "It's fine. I didn't tell anyone."

"Kyatchi fell asleep waiting for you to wake up, so I brought him to his room." Misaki smiled softly at Watari. "I'm supposed to report if you wake up to the group, but I'll do that in a little bit."

Watari was silent. He silently cursed to himself.

Misaki's expression saddened. "... Are you cold? I'll try to increase the temperature here more if you want."

"I'm fine."

"Alright." Misaki took a look at the man again, then averting her gaze. "If you want to know, Shinji was the one who saved you."

Watari flinched at this. He slowly turned to eye the surgeon, confused. "What? Why?"

"He was the one who noticed you couldn't swim first and was closest to you." Misaki scratched her head nervously, laughing to escape her anxiety. "Everyone else was having fun and we thought you were just trying to make us scared, so we didn't do anything until Shinji dove in to save you."

Watari stared at the woman. He was unsure of what to say, quiet and biting into his lips. He glanced away from the woman, confused to what he just heard. He couldn't believe what the surgeon had just said, mind circling on one word- _why?_

Misaki noticed the obvious frustration in the detective's face, and she quickly cleared her throat to change the mood. "Anyways, you can stay here and rest. Monokuma doesn't mind it. I'll stay here to watch over you."

"I'm fine though." Watari frowned. "You should just sleep."

"You could get sick and I'm sure you're a bit lightheaded right now." Misaki smiled softly. "Just rest for a bit then, Ari."

Watari was silent. He wanted to counter and refute the woman badly, but seeing that the surgeon was stubborn, he gritted his teeth and stayed silent. He slowly forfeited and resorted to lying down, hearing the woman who was tapping into her MonoPad now.

The detective stayed silent. He didn't want to do anything, frustration clear in his face as he grabbed the blankets and threw them over him.

He hated himself so much right now. Everyone was pitying him, and he felt like he wasn't worth anything like he wanted them to believe.

* * *

... And that is the end of the chapter! I have posted a poll out on my profile if you want to vote for who you want Watari to speak to for FTEs! Other than that, I have nothing else to say other than I'm going to continue switching between AoD and Disparity here, I have a third SYOC that is open, etc.

Here are a few recommendations and things for promotion wise!

 **Danganronpa: Remnants of My Heart** by Prince PokePersona

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** by SanityRequiem

Speaking about SanityRequiem, Req does have an audiobook project for Forest of Despair and is in need of editors, and voice actors! If interested, please go check and message Req about it! Req would really appreciate the help!

Anyways, and that's all I have for the time being! I'll see you all next time!


	23. Chapter 3 - Part 1, Part C

Hello, and here I am with a new chapter for this story! I hope you didn't wait too long. This week was pretty busy for me, but luckily I managed to get this chapter out! Anyways, I don't really have much else to say here, so let's head straight into the story!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Hehe, I'm glad you liked it! I always love hearing from you~ Yes, that is basically the motive! Mhm, I'm glad you liked the motive idea. Hehe, thanks. Kyatchi is a vocal and cynical person here, so he's a special one. Lol, makes you want to see what Akio called her personally, eh. Of course, of course. Very interesting analysis of Ayako and your own son~ Yes, our lovely butler is going to impress the others, but oof, those death flags. Misaki is a cutie, hehe. Watari cannot swim, that is such a sad thing XD Yes, because he isn't God. Shinjimae is the cutest cinnamon roll here. He's so precious. I'm glad you like Watari's character so far~ Makes me happy. Of course, I have to give shameless plug everywhere!"

 **Meta King:** "Yume does seem to have screentime, huh? I wonder why. Truly a great fear, eh. Aww, I'm glad you're enjoying Misaki's character! She's a sweet one, that girl. Akio's a weirdo. We need to make him not weird and let's just all call him weird. Haha, yeah, foils."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Well then, it seems like you got it faster than I finished this chapter! Back to being tortured, oof. Haha, well, I can't really answer anything since it'll spoil things, but very interesting theory indeed! Waking up, checking the chat... Yes, a routine! Motives are always interesting and are a great way to ruin the routinely mood here. Watari's not open to people, and poor Tomoyo keeps getting brushed off. The poor girl. Yeah, glad you liked the announcement! Mhm, yes, that target motive came from a fangan or two, yes. Poor Ayako is being harassed! She just needs some love, but everyone ignores her, or insults her. Dinner and conversations, yay. Hehe. Fluff is fun, because after that will be darkness and hate. Character development and the like are great. Aww, glad you liked the swimsuit designs! I kinda had to looked up images and all types of swimsuits to see what fits, lol. Watari really hates people's concern, eh. I like dark stuff, lol. Yee, glad you liked it!"

* * *

"You don't need to hide! Geez, I already knew you were here."

A giggle escaped the young boy's lips. He immediately popped his head out from where he hid, the boy grinning widely. "I guess you found me! Hehe, how'd you know I was here?"

"You always tend to follow me anyways instead of doing your homework. Besides, it's obvious that you're following me since you tripped that one time on a pebble."

"Y-you saw that?!"

"Haha, yeah. Don't worry though. I was the only one who saw it."

"You're mean. Why're you laughing right now? I could've died!"

"Over tripping over a tiny pebble? Don't make me laugh."

The boy pouted. "Boo, I hate you! I'm going to go back home."

"Pfft, I was joking. Don't be mad. You can come in here and sit down. Do you want water? I'll fetch you a bottle."

The boy thought for a moment, then smiling happily and nodding. He ran over to sit down on a seat next to his idol and giggled. "Okay!"

"Here you go." The boy was handed a water bottle. His idol stared at him for a moment, then typing down on the keyboard. "... You really should open up to others. I'm not always going to be free, y'know?"

"But you always let me in here anyways," the boy replied, whining. "I don't want to be friends with anyone anyways… As long as you're here, then I'm happy."

"You don't have to always follow me though. I know you're my brother, but it's not like siblings always stay around each other. We have separate lives."

The boy sighed, saddened. However, his expression brightened once he felt his sibling's hand ruffling his hair.

"Just try to befriend others, alright?"

"Okay!"

* * *

Watari found himself waking up much more later than the morning announcement. Honestly, it was a miracle that he slept through Monokuma's annoying announcement, but it happened and Watari did not feel like he accomplished anything at all.

Watari wasn't surprised to find himself in his white shirt and shorts. A sigh escaped his lips as he looked around the room, now finding Kyatchi who was inside the room. The juggler seemed to have noticed that the detective was awake, for the man threw him a grin and waved.

"Yo." Kyatchi's posture relaxed. "You finally woke up. It's like eleven o'clock right now."

The detective frowned as he looked at the juggler, then sighing as he stretched his arms out and yawned. "Is it?"

"Yup." Kyatchi looked at Watari for a moment, then quickly clearing his throat and averting his gaze. "Uh… I didn't mean to hurt you back there. I didn't know you couldn't swim."

"Seriously, don't bother apologizing to me." Watari sighed. He slowly got off from the bed and onto the ground. He then smirked as he looked at the juggler. "Aww, did you stay here just to apologize to me or something?"

Kyatchi shook his head, chuckling dryly. "I mean, we decided to have shifts, and right now it's my turn. I'm glad you woke up though, I had, like, ten hours left to spare."

"Uhuh." Watari looked around the area for a moment, then looking down at himself. He frowned as he eyed his clothes. "Did you guys leave my clothes in the locker room?"

Kyatchi snickered. "Yeah, we forgot. Sorry."

Watari rolled his eyes. Although he was slightly peeved about this, he figured he shouldn't really complain. He could've died, after all. "I can just get another pair in my room anyways. My MonoPad's a different story though."

"Well, oops. I should've known." The juggler shrugged, a teasing tone in his voice. He then eyed the detective for a moment, then frowning. "How do you not know how to swim though?"

Watari averted his gaze, heaving a small breath of air. "Some people just don't know how to swim. It's that simple, dear."

"Alright, alright, but it was seriously a shocker though." Kyatchi smirked wryly. "You scared everyone. Even Yume was shocked, and she's the one who never reveals her facial expressions!"

"Right…" Watari looked at the juggler. "If anything, though, you guys would rather have me dead than not. The only reason why I'm alive is because you guys don't want to participate in a class trial."

Kyatchi stared at the detective for a moment, then shaking his head. "Well, you can't really argue that since I'm the one who wants to die. Monokuma even told me I can't just commit suicide because of how aggro I was about it."

"That's you out of many," Watari retorted, biting into his lips. "If a death happens, then there's going to be a class trial. It's obvious my case was most likely accidental and I'm not your or Misaki's target, so obviously no one wants to go through the trouble of participating in another class trial with my death."

Kyatchi crossed his arms, sighing. "I know it's not my place to say this, but Shinji did look petrified to death when he saw you drowning. He was literally panicking when he saved you."

"So?" The detective quickly averted his gaze, his heart burning. "That doesn't mean he wants to save me for the sake of saving me. If this whole thing wasn't a game with trials in it, then he'd let me die."

Kyatchi scratched his head. "Color me silly, but I think that's a bit of bullshit. I know I'm rather cynical and shit, but it's pretty obvious Shinji wanted to save you because he cared. Don't you people consider him the 'sweetest thing around' anyways? I definitely heard that from Misaki or Blaise or the others more than a dozen times by now."

Watari clenched into his fists. He felt his head beginning to ache, and it was bothering him so much right now. "I just-"

"Uh… H-Hello?"

Watari and Kyatchi stopped in their tracks, looking at the door. The person in front of the door was one the detective did not want to see now.

"Oh, speak of the devil." Kyatchi grinned dryly at Watari. The juggler headed over to the person at the door.

It was Shinjimae, the animal whisperer having poked his head inside with Saki following suit. The man looked worried as Kyatchi walked by and gave him a pat on the shoulder, the juggler then disappearing into the abyss shortly afterward. Shinjimae blinked confusingly, but turned to look over at Watari.

Watari couldn't help but avert his gaze, unsure of what to do. If anything, he expected the animal whisperer to ignore him throughout the rest of their lives. He would've been fine with that, yet here he was now.

"Erm…" Shinjimae looked nervous beyond comprehension, eyes darting back and forth. Saki was comfortably nuzzling herself against his leg, and the animal whisperer forced himself to continue. "I… I'm glad you're awake. Uh, w-we were so worried about you and, uh, I, uh- ow, I bit my tongue again…"

Watari slowly looked over at the man. The animal whisperer seemed to have recited what he had said before repeatedly, the detective noting this from how disappointed the animal whisperer looked to himself and Saki comfortably rubbing herself against him.

Shinjimae's face was beginning to redden, and the detective couldn't help but note the slight wetness on his face. "I-I… Uh… I'm sorry, I-I must be bothering you. I… I should go."

The animal whisperer felt defeated now, body slouched. Saki gave him a soft whine, but Shinjimae shook his head. The duo were about to walk away until-

"Wait." Watari stepped forward. He noticed Shinjimae's eyes widening at the sudden statement. The detective bit into his lips, averting his gaze. He had no idea why he stopped the man, and he cursed himself for speaking before he thought. "I…"

 _Shit. How do I even start? Why did I even stop him if I can't say anything?_

Shinjimae gulped as he awkwardly looked at the man. "Erm… Y-you don't need to speak if you don't, uhh, want to…"

"No, that's not it." Watari bit into his lips. He knew better than to throw on that maliciousness of his, but if he dropped it he didn't know what to do. "I'm just… You're… Did you hear what I told Kyatchi?"

 _Shit._

Shinjimae's doe-shaped green eyes widened. His face began to flush as he forced a small laugh. "I-I… Kinda."

"Oh." Watari immediately regretted asking him. He couldn't help but gulp, averting his gaze. "If you want to know, then yeah, I truly believe in what I told him."

"O-oh." Shinjimae stared at the detective for a moment, but then softly smiled and looked away. He was obviously in pain, eyes beginning to water. "I-if you do want to know… Y-yes, I did do it out of selfishness."

Watari perked his head up. There was a part of him that wanted to laugh and cry out that he was right, but there was another part of him that wanted to just mope and pout about it. He didn't know anymore if he wanted to be right or not.

Shinjimae held his breath, twirling his hair around nervously. "I… I didn't want you to die. I-I got reminded of… erm… my daddy…"

Watari's eyes widened. He couldn't help but eye the animal whisperer in shock, unsure of what to say.

"H-he died in the currents of a river… he… he didn't resurface and when I saw you…" Shinjimae's face was pale. His breaths began to grow shallow. "I-I saw you, and you weren't resurfacing… S-so I thought-!"

Watari flinched back as Shinjimae fell to the ground. The animal whisperer was in tears, shaking as Saki immediately began comforting him.

The detective gulped. He was unsure if he should do something, eyeing the animal whisperer in a mixture of bafflement and worry. "Shinji…"

Shinjimae sniffled, but forced himself to look at Watari and smiled. "I'm fine… D-don't worry about me. I-I'm just happy you're fine."

"I…" Watari bit into his lips. He couldn't help but feel sorry for the man, guilt continuing to overwhelm him as time continued to pass by, more and more. He didn't want to be looked at like this, and he quickly averted his gaze.

 _And yet again I'm being useless. I'm never going to be of much help to anyone like this._

… _I think I was never of help to anyone. I couldn't even follow what Tadaomi told me… I…_

Watari held his breath. He could see Saki nuzzling herself against Shinjimae, and the man shaking slightly. The detective pursed his lips, then shaking his head and forcing himself to look at Shinjimae in the eyes. "Shinji… you…"

 _Shit. This is embarrassing._

The detective blushed slightly, Shinjimae staring straight into his eyes confusingly. "I… About back then, in the… y'know, the trial and even before that…"

 _Fuck. How do you word this? What am I even saying? This is embarrassing._

Watari gulped. He quickly averted his gaze, feeling his cheeks beginning to grow hotter. "I… I didn't mean what I said and I… I'm sorry."

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "W-Watari…"

Watari's face became red and he immediately began to move out. "I'm going to leave now."

The detective was about to charge straight out of the door, but he was tugged back by Shinjimae who suddenly pulled him back. Watari frowned as he glanced at the man. "Hey-!"

He stopped. He noticed the animal whisperer eyeing him with full blown tears in his eyes. The man sniffled and let out a small whimper before suddenly throwing Watari into a hug.

"W-what?" Watari was baffled beyond comprehension. He couldn't do anything as he felt Shinjimae's arms around him, the animal whisperer hugging him tightly. Watari held his breath, forcing a small grin. "Why're you hugging me? Are you in love or something?"

Shinjimae shook his head. Tears were falling down from his face. "I-I'm sorry… I just… I-I… just me stay like this, p-please…"

Watari was unsure of what to say, baffled. He didn't really want to be in someone's arms- it was honestly baffling how affection worked- but he stayed still and allowed Shinjimae to embrace him, to cry for a while. Even if it was embarrassing, Watari had to hold back his thoughts. He was sure Shinjimae wanted that.

He wasn't sure how much time has passed. Maybe it had been a couple of seconds. Maybe it had been a couple of minutes. He wasn't sure, and it didn't matter. Time had passed, and Shinjimae slowly raised his head over to Watari's gaze.

"S-sorry… erm…" Shinjimae blushed slightly as he smiled. He used his sleeve to wipe the tears from his eyes. "I-I just… I'm just so relieved… Erm…"

Watari eyed the man awkwardly. He was completely flustered. "I don't see why you need to feel relief at this."

Shinjimae giggled softly. "W-well… I-I just didn't want to, erm, avoid you a-all the time. Besides, y-you're alive and I'm just so happy…"

"What? Why?" Watari slowly averted his gaze. He didn't understand it at all. He never did. "Even if I apologized, that shouldn't mean anything. It doesn't mean anything."

Shinjimae shook his head, smiling at the man. "I-I'm sorry, but I think it's worth something! Erm… Y-you look like you've never apologized to someone before, hehehe."

Watari's cheeks became red and he quickly frowned, looking away. "S-so what? It doesn't mean anything."

Shinjimae blushed as he stared at the raven. "I-I mean… Um, an apology is an apology a-and if you didn't apologize before, t-this means you- you actually mean it!"

Watari's eyes widened. Realizing what the man had just said and the point that was seen as valid, he couldn't help but become flustered and deny it. "You're so naive. That doesn't mean anything given how badly I've treated you."

"I-I know." Shinjimae's face saddened, if not slightly. "I-I was scared of you and y-you were mean… Erm, b-but I do want to forgive you."

Watari averted his gaze. "You're stupid… It really isn't smart of you to do that."

Shinjimae smiled as he stood up straight, Saki wagging her tail. He looked over at the detective at ease. "I-I know… I-I initially didn't want to, er, talk to anyone, b-but… I-I really miss you all. I'm just scared."

Watari eyed the man for a moment, thinking about Hitomu and Keishi. Those two were both dear friends of Shinjimae's, close friends of his. For them to both die, especially under a few hours, it must've- it was taxing on him. Watari had to pity the animal whisperer. He just couldn't not pity him, crossing his arms and eyeing him with a slightly sadder expression than expected. "It's natural for you to be scared. It's understandable."

 _I understand it so well too… not that I'm telling him that._

"Look, everyone's different, and that's the same with you. Your way of treating trauma and death is different from how people like Akio and Tomoyo might treat death." Watari threw the animal whisperer a soft grin. "It may be frustrating to others, but that's just reality. You shouldn't feel ashamed to be scared."

"W-Watari…" Shinjimae blushed deeply. He couldn't help but smile, beginning to tear up again. "I-I'm so glad… I-I really wanted to talk to someone, e-even you… I just thought you hated me and… I-I'm so relieved…"

 _You're such an idiot, Shinji._

Watari sighed, biting into his lips. He couldn't help but give Shinjimae a small pat, though he didn't want to mention the fact he had to go on his tiptoes- even if slightly. "You really are a worrywart."

Shinjimae couldn't help but laugh awkwardly. "Hehehe… am I?"

Watari nodded his head slowly, moving back to give Shinjimae some space. He could see Saki looking at him happily, her tail wagging back and forth excitedly. The detective awkwardly averted his gaze, scratching his head.

 _I do feel bad for Shinji, but at the same time if he ends up becoming attached to me he'd just end up taking up my time and I'd hurt him again._

… _I still don't understand why someone would want to be around someone like me. People are nothing more than stupid though, so I guess that's the reason why Shinji opened back up to me._

Watari looked over at the animal whisperer. Shinjimae noticed this and threw him a kind smile.

 _He's going to hinder my plans, but… I can't just throw him aside though. I just can't for some reason._

Watari sighed, shaking his head. He crossed his arms and eyed the man. "Well, dear, I think I should get going. I need to change my clothes, after all."

"O-oh, of course!" Shinjimae quickly bobbed his head up and down, cheeks slightly pink. "Erm, d-do you want me to g-get your clothes for you? T-they're still in the changing room."

"Well, since the MonoPad is there, I suppose so." Watari then frowned. "I can get it myself though."

"N-no, I don't mind getting it for you!" Shinjimae threw the detective a confident smile. He seemed excited, his doe eyes almost sparkling beyond Watari's comprehension. "I-I want to be c… con… sid… erate… Y-yeah, considerate to you!"

Shinjimae then blushed, awkwardly scratching his head. "I-I think I almost messed up m-my wording there… Erm, b-but I do want to help you!"

Watari blushed slightly in return, then shaking his head and averting his gaze. "Well, if you want to, I guess you can. I'm going to go change my clothes in my room."

Shinjimae smiled. He definitely seemed pleased with this. He nodded his head, looked down at Saki, and then left the room alongside the dog.

Watari sighed, now finally finding himself alone. He couldn't help but scratch his head, unsure of what to think. He wondered if Shinjimae was truly going to get his MonoPad and clothes, but decided against thinking about it and headed over to his dorm room.

The detective made his way straight in his room. He closed the door behind him and sighed, stretching for a bit. He had an itching feeling that the other Ultimates would run in sooner or later to see if he's fine. Annoyance was written on his face, and he promptly changed into his usual attire. Buttoning up his dress shirt and putting on his vest and the rest of his clothes, Watari found himself back in his usual attire, and found himself more comfortable.

Watari headed over to the restroom. He frowned as he looked at himself in the mirror. His hair was definitely a mess. He grabbed the brush and began to fix himself for a while, making sure he looked decent enough at least. He didn't want anyone to make fun of him or give him unwanted attention, after all.

After finishing brushing his hair and cleaning his teeth, he headed back to his main room. He had the urge to just lay down in bed and contemplate life, but he forced himself against that and walked over to his desk. He looked at the notes he wrote to himself, then frowning as he noticed the amount of empty notepads to the side. He wondered if he'd be able to fill all of the notepads with his penmanship.

There was a knock on the door. Watari frowned and walked over to opened it.

Shinjimae was outside the door. He smiled at the detective and handed him his clothes and MonoPad. "H-here you go. S-Saki and I ran to get it to you."

"You didn't need to run," Watari mumbled, grabbing ahold of the stuff and eyeing them. He sighed as he placed his dirty clothes to the side, then keeping his MonoPad close to him.

Shinjimae blushed, giggling slightly. "I-I just didn't want to make you wait."

"That doesn't mean you should waste your energy for me though. Besides, I'm used to waiting." Watari stared at the animal whisperer for a moment, then sighing and turning on his MonoPad. He honestly found it a miracle that the device never ran out of battery or died out- Monokuma must've done something special with it. He waited silently as the device turned on. There, he decided to check what was on his messages.

Watari frowned, eyeing the hundreds of messages which came from the group chat. He couldn't help but question why everyone was so worried about him. There was a strange part of him that wanted to cry about it, but another which feared that weakness of his. He quickly pressed 'Read' from the top of the messages on the device, then checked out the private messages sent out to him.

His frown only turned grumpier as he noticed the messages sent to him were those of worry. He promptly checked through each one before closing his device and scratching his head, the raven then looking back at Shinjimae and Saki. "Do you need something?"

Shinjimae eyed the detective for a second, then quickly shaking his head. "N-no! I was just, erm, y'know, w-waiting for you."

"Why?" Watari found himself baffled. "I'm not exactly doing anything special."

The animal whisperer averted his gaze. "Y-you… you didn't eat yet, r-right?"

"No, I didn't." Watari realized he hadn't actually thought about food since he woke up. He immediately heard his stomach grumbling, growling at him. "Guess I should eat."

Shinjimae nodded happily, beaming in response. "Oh! I-I'll go with you then."

Watari sighed, shaking his head. He had nothing else to do anyways, and he knew arguing with Shinjimae would waste him time. "Yeah. Whatever you want, dearie."

With that settled, Shinjimae smiled. He led Saki and Watari over to the cafeteria, almost with a skip to his beat. Watari sighed as he followed the animal whisperer, crossing his arms as he walked into the room.

Not everybody was inside, although Watari did notice a few people on set.

"Watari." Tomoyo's eyes widened as she looked at the detective.

"I-it looks like you're fine." Masako smiled as she looked at the detective. She then looked over at Shinjimae and Saki, then bowing her head slightly. "H-hello again."

Shinjimae waved at the survivalist, unaware that the woman eyed him in shock from the welcoming gesture. He then turned to Tomoyo and Misaki who were eating and sharing their snacks in hand. "Erm, t-there are still leftovers, right?"

Misaki instantly bobbed her head and pointed to the kitchen. "Yup! Blanchard and Viorel put the pot in the fridge. Warm some of the soup up if you want."

Shinjimae nodded. He turned to Watari and pointed over to the kitchen door. "D-Decebel made us some chicken noodle s-soup today."

"It tastes really good," Misaki mused, looking over to the detective with a chuckle. "Although Shinji got his own meal."

"I-I don't eat meat," the man blushed slightly. "B-besides, oriental flavor tastes b-better."

The surgeon was more than amused. "Yeah, alright then, whatever you say!"

Tomoyo seemed to be staring at the detective for a moment, her eyes fixated on him before she began, "Are you feeling better?"

Watari sighed. He threw the woman a playful grin, winking at her. "I am, dearie. It's cute that you care about me."

"Yeah…" Tomoyo averted her gaze. "I am."

Watari inwardly frowned. He looked at the screenwriter for a moment, then crossing his arms and pursing his lips. "Where's everyone else? Doing their business, I presume?"

"Mhm." Masako let out a soft noise in response. "I-I think Ayako's with Blaise at the moment. F-for the others, Decebel is taking a walk outside and the others went back to their rooms to rest."

"Alright then." Watari noted to himself that he had to gain more information out of these people. He needed to know who was guilty and who was working under the bear, after all.

"I-I'll go get you your food." Shinjimae kindly looked at Watari, and before the detective could tell him to stop, the animal whisperer and his dog left into the kitchen.

Watari groaned as he scratched his head. He could tell the women inside of the room were eyeing him curiously.

"I'm guessing you and Shinji made up?" Misaki was the first to ask, curious and nosy as ever as she stared at the detective.

"Does it even matter?" Watari asked.

"I mean…" Tomoyo awkwardly looked at her two friends. "We did notice that Shinji was actually trying to talk to us again. At least, even if it was for a few times here and there."

"Y-yes, especially during breakfast." Masako couldn't help but perk up a small smile. "He began scooting himself closer to us and tried to talk to us."

"Is that so?" The detective couldn't help but wonder why the animal whisperer would force himself to commit to such a thing. "Well, that earns him a gold medal, now doesn't it."

The screenwriter thought for a moment. "He was really adamant on talking to you. He was scared that you'd shove him off, but we urged him to try anyways."

"Oh yeah!" Misaki chuckled. "He was really nervous about it. We spent over thirty minutes just trying to calm him down and get him to not hesitate on talking to you. It was actually kinda cute."

Watari averted his gaze. "He didn't have to do that."

"Well, it looks like you two made up." Misaki grinned, crossing her arms happily. "I guess that means Shinji actually went up to talk to you. Oh, and you didn't shoot him down!"

"Yeah?" Watari didn't bother to mention how confident the surgeon sounded in that idea. "You're really treating this as if it's anything special."

"I-it just makes me happy to see everything going along well too," Masako admitted, smiling sweetly. "W-we're going against what Monokuma wanted."

Tomoyo smiled at this, looking at her friend. "That's good then."

Watari decided it'd be best to stay silent, simply eyeing the trio who began talking among themselves again. The detective was wondering if he should do anything at the moment, but his thoughts were interrupted when Shinjimae and Saki came out the door, Shinjimae with a bowl of soup in hand.

Shinjimae awkwardly laughed as he placed the bowl down to where Watari was. "H-hopefully it's warm enough. Erm, I-I tried heating it a for a few minutes already, so I-I think it should be good?"

Watari shrugged and looked at his bowl of chicken noodle soup. Although he would rather get his own bowl to downplay Shinjimae's gesture of affection towards him, he decided to just grab his spoon and indulge himself in the meal. He was hungry, he had to admit.

The detective sipped into his bowl. He tasted the saltiness and goodness of the broth. Definitely something he wouldn't mind eating without stop.

"D-do you like it?" Shinjimae looked expectantly at the shorter man.

Watari nodded his head slowly. "It tastes just like how I expected it to. Do you need to ask? You didn't make this."

The women who were inside of the room seemed to notice something. They looked at one another and nodded, then standing up from their seats.

"We'll go hang out at the pool again," Misaki mused, looking over at Shinjimae and Watari. "You two have fun now! Toodles~"

Misaki grabbed ahold of Tomoyo and Masako's arms, then dragging them away. The detective was silent, unsure of what had happened. He slowly sipped into his bowl before eyeing Shinjimae and Saki- the animal whisperer was brushing his fingers through the labrador's fur.

… _Well, since Shinji's alone with just me and Saki, I think I can start asking him for information. I can't just sit here awkwardly._

"Ahem." Watari cleared his throat. He saw the animal whisperer throwing him a curious, although interested, look. "Well, since we're alone and all that, Shinji dearie, why don't you tell me a bit about yourself?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "H-huh? Erm, d-do you really want to know much about me? I-I don't think I'm that interesting…?"

"Nonsense." Watari threw the animal whisperer a playful smirk. "Everyone has their own story to write, so I know you have some little tidbits of information that'll prove noteworthy to me."

"Erm…" Shinjimae looked embarrassed, nervous. He rubbed his hands together and awkwardly looked down at his feet. "A-are you sure? I-I don't mind, but i-if it makes you bored, then…"

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Shinjimae?**

 _ **[Yes, go for it.]**_ / No, actually, nevermind.

* * *

Watari threw the animal whisperer a wink, pointing at the man's face. "If I wasn't sure, then I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?"

Shinjimae's face became red. "I-I mean, if you really want to… learn about me, t-then I'm more than happy to talk about myself."

The detective smirked. "Alright then."

 **Shinjimae:** Uh… s-so what do you want me to, erm, to talk about?

 **Watari:** Hm, well…

 **Watari:** _I don't think Shinji wants to open up much about his father, given his father died. He didn't mention his mother as well, so… Hm, well, since I do want to make sure Shinji's not mentally unstable-_

 **Watari:** How about you talk to me about how you got Saki?

 **Shinjimae:** O-oh! Y-you want me to talk about Saki?!

 **Watari:** Aww, you sound so excited about it. That's cute.

 **Shinjimae:** Ehehehe, sorry. O-only a few people ever asked me… b-but… y'know.

 **Watari:** Mhm, got it. So, where did you get her from?

 **Shinjimae:** W-well, to be honest, er, Saki was an a-adopted pet. I-I don't exactly where she came from, b-but she's definitely happy when I-I first saw her!

 **Watari:** Oh, really? I'm assuming you see a lot of animals in your lifetime then. Maybe you adopted a lot of other animals as well?

 **Shinjimae:** Ah, erm, y-yes. I-I really do like animals, after all. T-they're such amazing creatures.

 **Watari:** Hm… Well, what makes you so interested in animals anyways? People usually tend to focus much more on themselves, after all.

 **Shinjimae:** W-well, I-I just think that animals are so caring and loyal a-and… well, t-they're just so amazing. T-they are clever and sweet.

 **Watari:** Hm, interesting. Well, I shouldn't expect less from you. You are the Ultimate Animal Whisperer, after all.

 **Shinjimae:** Hehehe, w-well, I guess that's true.

 **Watari:** Hm, so what else are you interested in? The only thing I know about you is that you're really soft around animals, dear.

 **Shinjimae:** Ah, erm, w-well, I do enjoy table tennis. I-I only play it with my uncle though and a f-few people, though t-that's if they want to.

 **Watari:** Table tennis? I've heard of it, but I've never played before.

 **Shinjimae:** O-oh, really?! W-well, erm, i-if you don't mind, m-maybe we should play? I-I mean, if we ever find a place to do it and t-the tools and all…

 **Watari:** Mm, sure. If that's what you prefer, dear.

 **Shinjimae:** Hm… o-oh! I also do go bird watching- ahh wait, I-I'm so sorry! T-that centers around animals, huh?

 **Watari:** Aww, that's okay, dear. Bird watching is something unique about you. You're just telling me more about yourself.

 **Watari:** _Although, it does seem like Shinji's pretty happy with what he does. That's cute of him. Nothing suspicious concerning that at least._

 **Shinjimae:** Hm, w-what else… O-other than supporting charities f-for animals, I love to bake! I-I really like making cookies and chocolate cake, hehe.

 **Watari:** Oh, really now? I'm surprised you haven't tried baking something here yet. A lot of people tend to look for snacks at times.

 **Watari:** _Heh, and Tomoyo being one of them with her love for chocolate._

 **Shinjimae:** W-well, I didn't want to bother anyone a-and I know Decebel a-and the others use the kitchen, so…

 **Watari:** I'm pretty sure they'll let you do as you please. They're all generous people nonetheless.

 **Shinjimae:** A-ah, that's true… I-I guess I should ask later then?

 **Watari:** Yeah, sure, but don't force yourself to ask to use the kitchen just because you want to follow everything I say. Just do it when you feel like it.

 **Shinjimae:** M-mhm.

 **Watari:** There, see? It's easy. Just ask someone.

 **Shinjimae:** Yeah, I-I suppose so. Erm, t-thanks!

 **Watari:** … I don't see why you have to thank me for that.

* * *

 **Shinjimae Akahoshi's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Shinjimae has a lot of hobbies that are related to animals, but he does love to bake and play table tennis. Other than that, he does tend to go bird watching and loves to donate and help out with charity.

* * *

Watari finished his bowl of soup, placing the bowl down on the table. He could see the animal whisperer now focusing on Saki again, and the detective sighed. He stood up from his seat and garnered the man's attention. "I think I'll go around and take a breather."

"O-oh, okay." Shinjimae looked at the man with a sweet, friendly smile. "I-I'm guessing you want to be alone for the moment?"

Watari nodded his head slowly. "Yeah." He couldn't help but ask, albeit awkwardly, "Do you mind?"

The animal whisperer immediately shook his head, laughing. "D-don't worry about me! I-I think I should be fine here. I have Saki by my side, a-after all."

The detective took another look at the animal whisperer, then nodding his head and slowly turning around to leave the room. He closed the door behind him and sighed, wondering where he should head to next.

He didn't exactly have to move anywhere though, for he found a familiar face heading over to where the dorm rooms were.

It was Ayako, the lolita fashion model walking over towards her room. She seemed to be in her own world for a moment, but once she moved her head up and noticed Watari in proximity, her eyes widened and she let out a soft gasp. "O-oh! Watari."

Watari threw the woman a smirk, crossing his arms in a coy manner. "I thought you were with Aki. He was the one who helped bring you back to everyone. Where is he?"

"He's talking to Decebel," Ayako mumbled, scratching her head. "They don't necessarily like me… er, well, they ignore me, to be precise."

"Heh, not surprised." Watari chuckled. "No one is that adamant on talking to you kindly, dear."

"I know." Ayako averted her gaze, pouting. "I… I deserve it, honestly."

"You do." Watari was awfully blunt in what he said. He instantly noticed the hurt in the woman's eyes. He sighed as he observed her for a moment, then saying, "Do you want to talk?"

Ayako frowned and eyed the man suspiciously. "Why…? Aren't you just going to mock me?"

"Aw, what? Are your feelings going to be hurt?" Watari smirked as he noticed the disgust in the woman's face. "Well, it's nice to see you're still as the usual disgusting person you are as ever, dear."

Ayako looked away from the man. Her eyes were teary. "... Why do you want to talk to me anyways?"

Watari shrugged mockingly. "Well, because I'm interested in you? Come on now, dear, it's not usual for people to be near the idol they hold and love dearly."

"Y-you don't even like me." Ayako gulped. "I don't see why you would want to talk to me. No one else does."

"Except for Aki, and he was the one who was pissed off the most about you." The detective smirked, noticing the paleness on the woman's face. "Dear, I am just curious in learning about you. It would help me understand you more, you know? I want to see what your mindset is like, dear."

Ayako was hesitant. If anything, the woman wanted to leave. Nonetheless, seeing how Watari was staring at her, the woman couldn't help but slowly nod her head and sigh. "I guess. Whatever you want, then."

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Ayako?**

 _ **[Just go do it.]**_ / No, please don't.

* * *

Watari smirked as he clapped his hands together, chuckling happily. "There! Now I get to learn more about you, Aya, my dear."

Ayako was still hesitant, but knowing she couldn't do anything, she sighed and allowed herself to listen to whatever the detective said.

 **Watari:** So, dearie, I want to know more about you. Do you have anything interesting you would like to share with me?

 **Ayako:** Uh… Honestly, I just like a lot of cute stuff. Kitties, milk tea with boba, historical romance novels, cooking, visual novels… basically, a lot of cute stuff.

 **Watari:** Aww, ain't that sweet? Well, dear, that doesn't exactly steer you off from being seen by everyone as nothing more than a cute little brat.

 **Ayako:** T-that's mean.

 **Watari:** I'm only telling you what everyone thinks. But, it doesn't matter much. What else are you interested in? Please do tell me more about yourself.

 **Ayako:** Sure?

 **Ayako:** Er, well, I don't like dirt, scary stories, loud noises, and potatoes. I don't know, I just think potatoes taste weird and look weird…

 **Watari:** Hm, you're so generic. It's cute, really.

 **Ayako:** Y-you're so mean! I can't help what I like and hate, you know?

 **Watari:** It does make me wonder though- do you force yourself to become someone like this? I'm surprised you don't like the more violent things, considering what you've done before.

 **Ayako:** No, I really do like and dislike these things!

 **Watari:** Aww, are you sure about that? Hm… Well, if that's the case then, how about we talk about what exactly you do as a lolita fashion model?

 **Ayako:** Oh? But isn't that obvious?

 **Watari:** Dearie, tell me- how many people do you know who talk about lolita fashion models in an everyday conversation? Besides, as someone who doesn't necessarily tail what fashion trends there are and whatnot, I am interested in seeing the extent of your knowledge in your own field, dear.

 **Ayako:** True… Fine, I'll tell you a bit.

 **Watari:** _Heh, seems like she actually likes where this is going. The little manipulator seems to still hold her love for life itself when it comes to her talent at least._

 **Ayako:** Well, lolita modeling is very different in comparison to mainstream modeling! If you didn't know, lolitas are much more petite and slender in build in comparison to the typical tall, even six foot tall model you see in fashion magazines and the like.

 **Watari:** Interesting. I did know that models have to be tall, but I do suppose I should've known your part of modeling involves you being petite. Shorter people cannot be models, I assume.

 **Ayako:** Yeah, unfortunately. It doesn't really matter to me though, hehe… I really do like modeling as a lolita, after all. The frills and dresses you wear in photo shoots makes me happy about my short height. They're just really cute.

 **Watari:** Ah, I see.

 **Watari:** _It does look like she likes her job as a lolita fashion model. I suppose there was no hatred concerning her talent at all… even her height, hmph._

 **Ayako:** Uh, anyways, yeah! T-that's all I have to say on that. Er, do you need to talk to me about something else? I… I want to take a nap.

 **Watari:** Well, not exactly, unless you want to talk to me more. I do not mind if you discuss to me about your cute little murder plans, y'know? I would rather not have myself killed if you want someone to die.

 **Ayako:** I-I am not planning on killing you or anyone! Geez, just leave me alone from that, please…

 **Watari:** Aww, of course. If that is what you desire, dearie.

 **Ayako:** … I'm going to leave now, if you don't mind.

And with that settled, Ayako quickly left to go into the dorms and into her room. She immediately left the detective alone to ponder to himself.

 _Hm, interesting._

* * *

 **Ayako Aoki's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Ayako truly does seem to enjoy what she does as a lolita fashion model. She does not show any sign of hatred or despise for her talent at all. Other than that, she does like kitties, boba tea, historical romance novels, cooking, etc. She does state that her dislikes are dirt, scary stories, loud noises, and potatoes.

* * *

Watari sighed, scratching his head. He glanced around the area for another few moments before deciding to move into the library, deciding that it was best to investigate more into what was inside and hopefully tie in what was happening around him.

For all he knew, Monokuma could be lying to him. However, despite considering that, Watari knew it was better to see if he can connect anything instead of ignoring the library altogether and look for something with nothing to act as a clue of sorts.

He didn't want to miss anything, after all.

 _Besides, I need to work harder and make sure I'm able to figure something out. I don't want to let everyone down, even if they won't know it…_

Watari sighed and headed into the library. He was pleased to see there was nobody in sight, and with this in his mind, he began to look through the assortment of books to see what he didn't read and what might be noteworthy.

Grabbing a few books from the shelves, he headed over to his usual spot and began to invest into the books in hands. He would spend time inside of the library, and time would pass.

The first story was nothing more than what seemed to be a plot revolving around a serial killer. The killer had killed a bountiful of people and was on the run. It was a simple story where the killer had to escape from the investigators' and police's hands, but in the end was caught and sentenced to death.

The next story was about a detective who fell in love with a woman who recently dropped by to pick up her sibling from the office. The detective had fallen in love badly and without even realizing it, he had fallen in love with a woman who was nothing more than a murderer and terrorist. It was too late, however, for the detective was too entranced to keep his morals in check.

Watari sighed, having finished that novel. He placed the book down and was about to pick up the other book he had gotten, but he heard footsteps nearby. He frowned and looked back, then finding Akio poking his head out.

"Dinner," the man announced, blunt and straight to the point.

Watari raised a brow, but then heaved a sigh and hopped off from his seat. He made his way out of the library and followed Akio towards the cafeteria.

"Are you feeling better?" Akio asked, opening the door for the shorter man. "You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine." Watari rolled his eyes at the man's courteous gesture. He looked up at the taller man. "Don't worry about me."

The actor threw him a disappointed frown, but sighed as he watched the detective walking inside. Akio closed the door behind him and sat back in his seat, Watari moving over to take a seat next to Shinjimae who had saved him one.

"Ah, I'm glad you're here, Master Watari." Blanchard smiled kindly at the detective, bowing his head down. "Please do grab whatever you please on the table. We have plenty."

Watari glanced at what was on the dinner table. There was roasted chicken, steak, steamed salmon, and just about everything Watari could ever imagine. He forced back the urge to drool over the food, stomach growling, and he silently took his food and placed them on his plate.

Yume was biting into her steak. She looked over at the detective. "It looks like you're better," she murmured.

"Yeah, he does." Kyatchi smirked slightly as he gulped down his glass of water. "Must be because he's with Shinji now, huh?"

Watari threw the juggler a cold glare, but he couldn't say anything as Misaki immediately stood and threw her glass up.

"Woot! What a cute friendship!" She exclaimed, laughing. She calmed down immediately however, sitting back down in her seat. "Honestly though, I'm really glad you two are better now. Not only your relationship though, but health wise."

"Yeah, honestly." Akio threw Shinjimae a soft smile. "I'm glad you're trying to open yourself back up with us."

Shinjimae blushed. He was obviously not used to all the attention, his face completely red. "A-ah… Yes, of course."

"Oh, Masako, do you want some of my food? I got too much. We can share some rice too. Is that fine?" Tomoyo asked, looking over to Masako.

The survivalist nodded her head slowly. She giggled as Tomoyo smiled and shared her food with her, putting some of her food on Masako's plate. "Y-yes, if you don't mind. I-I really am enjoying the food, hehe."

"I am pleased that you do," Blanchard mused, looking at the woman. "It pleases Viorel and I to know that you enjoy what we cook for you."

"Anyways!" Misaki pointed to the detective. "I'm still shocked you can't swim. I thought everyone should know how to swim, at least here in Japan."

Watari averted his gaze. "Well, excuse me for not remembering how to swim."

"It's because you're always cooped up in your room, I bet." Kyatchi smirked as he noticed the slight annoyance on the detective's face. "That's why you're so short and lacking in any muscle, Watari."

Watari deadpanned at the juggler, retorting, "At least I'm not a suicidal wannabe."

Yume couldn't help but raise a brow. "Seriously?"

"Ooh, ouch." Kyatchi mocked hurt, rubbing his fake tears. "You wound me, princess."

Shinjimae looked at Watari and Kyatchi for a moment, then quickly shaking his head and grabbing at the detective's sleeve. "P-please do not worry about it! Erm, i-if you want, I-I can teach you h-how to swim…!"

Watari's eyes widened instantly. "Huh?"

"Aww, that's so cute!" Misaki clapped her hands together, smile wide as can be. "Take up his offer, Ari! Besides, I don't want you to drown the next time we swim."

Watari took a look at the surgeon, then back at Shinjimae. He noticed the freckled man's doe eyes sparkling, and the detective couldn't help but avert his gaze. "Well…"

 _Though, Misaki does have a point. Someone could be planning to drown me. They already know I can't swim. All of them knows... especially the one whose target is me. Whoever that is, they might definitely try to kill me using that method._

Watari sighed, eyeing the animal whisperer with a smirk. "If you insist then, dearie. I am more than happy to be thought by someone as cute as you."

"C-c-c-cute?!" Shinjimae couldn't help but become redder, even more so than before. He quickly buried his head into Saki's fur to hide his face.

"Hm…" Kyatchi turned to Yume. "Can you actually swim though? I haven't seen you actually touch the swimming pool yet, you sleepyhead."

Yume frowned. "Uh, yeah, I can swim. I just prefer to not swim. It takes up too much effort, y'know…"

"Really?" Kyatchi smirked. "Next thing you know, you're a hardcore master at it. You might be a legend."

"Yeah, sure." Yume rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

Shinjimae seemed to be in a happier mood, relaxed. He looked over to the detective and smiled softly. "D-do you know w-when you want to, erm, learn?"

Watari shrugged. He couldn't help but be a bit embarrassed, sighing. "Tomorrow then. Doesn't matter with me."

The animal whisperer nodded excitedly. "O-okay!"

With that, the group continued to converse among themselves. They talked about a handful of different things and Watari continued to listen to the group until he finished his food. He could hear Tomoyo, Misaki, and Masako making plans between themselves again; Yume murmuring every time Kyatchi tried to talk to her; Akio talking to Ayako and Decebel talking happily to everyone except for Ayako, etc. Everytime looked the same as always, and although it was a bit unnerving to see how happy they were despite the motive (especially since the motive involved the tantalizing offer of being able to escape without a trial if one murders their designated target), he decided best not to note on it and finished his food.

He finished his food and brought it to the kitchen sink. Blanchard was talking to Akio inside of the kitchen, and they waved to Watari who shrugged it off and left. He had to go back to check on the books in the library, after all. He had to work hard.

Watari quickly grabbed ahold of his books, grunting a bit from the weight. He had about three or so books, and noting this was enough, he walked back to his dorm room.

He headed inside and took a comfortable seat on his chair. He opened one book up, and so he began to pull an all-nighter, not even being able to register the nighttime announcement that sounded beforehand.

* * *

... And that is the end of this chapter! I hope you're all enjoying this chapter so far, since soon someone has to die! Hehe, anyways, hopefully I'll be able to get out the next chapter sooner or so, but let's see where life takes us. I'll post a poll soon on who you think will be the victim in the next part or so, maybe.

Now, here are some shameless plugs for SYOCs that are open and accepting characters!

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** by me (wink wink)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants of My Heart** by Prince PokePersona

 **Fogbound Castaways** by Sharkeye

 **Danganronpa: Final Flight** by Shirasaur

... And that is all! I will see you all next time then! Goodbye for now!


	24. Chapter 3 - Part 1, Part D

Hello, and I am back with another chapter! This chapter may or may not be shorter than I usually make them, but it doesn't matter! A chapter is a chapter, after all! Well, other than that, I really don't have much to say (like always), so let's just get right down to business!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Hehe, yes, another chapter! Watari and Shinji's relationship will be precious, totally. Poor Shinji, he needs some loving. Shinji is such a sweet cinnamon roll. Yes, because Shinji is an animal whisperer, after all. Ayako will always be innocent, what're you talking about? XD Haha, of course, of course, that makes sense. Huh, what do you mean killing game? They're in some sitcom, totally. Aww, thanks! Don't worry though, I believe in you, my man! Thanks so much! Have a nice day as well~"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Hehe, fluff is very fluffy!"

* * *

"I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry…"

"Ssh, calm down. Please don't cry." His idol smiled softly at him. He felt a warm hand ruffling his hair, but he knew it was an awkward and forced one- it was just too obvious. "Please, I don't want to see you cry."

"B-but…" The young boy began crying more, an entire mess of snot and tears. "I-it's my fault! If I hadn't done that, then…"

"No, please don't cry. It's not your fault." Warm arms wrapped around the young boy. "I was just careless. That's all."

"H-how is it your fault at all?" The boy began crying even more, shaking his head. "I-if I wasn't so stupid, then you would've been fine and you wouldn't have lost your job and- and-!"

"Ssh, it's alright, it's alright. It's alright. Just don't worry about that for now, okay? I'm alive, and that's all that matters, right?"

The boy sniffled. "... I-I mean…"

"It's okay? See, I'm not sad!" A smile escaped the young man's face. "Besides, I can find another job, so don't worry about me too much."

"I… A-are you sure? I know you liked your job and…"

"It's fine. I can always become something else, y'know? Maybe I should learn to be a translator or maybe even… well…"

It was just too obvious for the boy. It was obvious that it was his fault, and that he costed him everything.

* * *

The bell rang, and the morning announcement sounded off, as usual.

"Morning, my lovely darlings! Please wake up and have a wonderful day! Also, I'll fucking tell you guys you have like this day and tomorrow to kill someone, so hurry the fuck up!"

The announcement ended, and Watari rolled his eyes from what the monochrome bear said. He couldn't help but feel the urge to stay asleep, but remembering what had happened yesterday, he got out of bed and grabbed ahold of his MonoPad. As usual, he booted it on and checked what was happening at the moment.

Watari rubbed his eyes. He felt tremendously sleepy still, and he knew why he was feeling this way. He couldn't really force himself back to sleep now, groggily eyeing what was on his messages.

The group chat was the same as ever, he concluded. Akio seemed to always try bringing in the group with Decebel always up and ready to cook. Most of the others also chatted in the chatroom, though most of the time it was Kyatchi trying to make fun of others, or state the obvious. Watari did noted how Kyatchi liked to make fun of Akio, but he decided against even asking.

Watari knew he shouldn't be surprised about Shinjimae texting him, but his eyes still widened when he saw the animal whisperer's name. He eyed it for a moment, reading what the man said.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Shinjimae)**

 **Shinjimae: We can swim later today if you want! (06:38 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Erm, is that fine with you? (06:38 AM)]**

Watari always wondered how everyone seemed to wake up early. He found himself just wanting to sleep more and more every time he woke up, and even then he was annoyed whenever he woke up earlier than he expected to. He either couldn't sleep after waking up, or found himself lying still in his bed.

Nonetheless, he figured Shinjimae himself was excited about the situation. He had made up with Watari, and the detective figured the taller man was an exuberant one. That, and the fact that Shinjimae must've been woken up by Saki.

 **[Watari: Yeah, sure. (07:03 AM)**

 **Watari: During the afternoon then? (07:03)**

 **Shinjimae: Yeah, sure! (07:04 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I don't mind! (07:04 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari couldn't reject the man, honestly. He would rather avoid having to have people worry about him if he were to reject Shinjimae again. Besides, he did pity the animal whisperer- he had lost two of his dear friends, after all, and Shinjimae was not exactly a social butterfly like Akio or Misaki.

The detective wondered what to do, then noticing he still had a few more texts from people he forgot to check on. He did receive one from Akio which talked about what was happening with Ayako- Watari even had to wonder why the actor wanted him to know, but shrugged and read it anyways.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Akio)**

 **Akio: It looks like Ayako's in a better mood. Definitely better than before, or at least in what I think. (10:39 PM)**

 **Akio: Uh, that's all I have to say. I just wanted you to see this because you helped me out concerning this issue. (10:41 PM)**

 **Akio: Thanks. (10:41 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

The detective sighed. He knew Akio wanted to help and change, but honestly speaking Watari was skeptical of it. People were selfish, and in his belief people only change in order to make themselves look better.

Watari shook his head and eyed the last few messages sent out to him. He frowned, noticing it was from Tomoyo.

 _Why does she still care about me? It's not like I did anything to warrant her care. She should be avoiding me right now, if not since I revealed myself as Monokuma's helper._

He knew he wasn't exactly a helper and merely someone Monokuma wanted to toy with, but the others didn't know, and they wouldn't know. It still irked Watari that everyone treated him so kindly despite the revelation, though strangely Monokuma seemed to know this would've happened.

A sigh escaped his thin lips once again, and he decided to look through the messages Tomoyo sent out to him.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Tomoyo)**

 **Tomoyo: Hello, I hope you are doing well today. (06:57 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: I'll see you at the door soon. (06:58 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari bit into his lips. He had no idea why the woman was still willing to talk to him, nonetheless willingly see him, but it frustrated him. He didn't understand this at all, and he could only assume she wanted to mess with him.

The detective sighed, shaking his head. He quickly headed over to the restroom to brush, washing his face, and combing his hair. He couldn't do anything about the eye bags, though he did try to wet his eyes a few times to force himself awake. He then changed into the same attire he would always wear, then noting the books that were spread out on his desk. He definitely had to put the books back and clean up his little office at a later time.

So, now, Watari waited rather annoyingly in front of the door. Once he heard the knocking, he grabbed at the handle and turned it opened.

Tomoyo was in front of the door, as usual. She did look happy, Watari noted, eyeing her brightly shining eyes and curled lips. "Hello."

"Uhuh." Watari observed her for a moment, silent. "Why're you so perky, dear?"

Tomoyo blushed slightly, looking away. "I-it's nothing, really. I just hung out with Misaki and Masako, that's all."

"Ah, your little besties." The detective nodded his head slowly, crossing his arms. "What, had another sleepover?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Yeah, we did." She then looked at the detective for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. "Um… are you okay?"

Watari raised a brow. "Yeah, why?"

"You look tired." Tomoyo worriedly eyed the man, keeping her face stern and steady. "Did you not sleep well? You look… well, you just look like you stayed up too late."

Tomoyo awkwardly scratched her head, letting out a soft, nervous chuckle. "Well, I mean… you look sleepy, that's all."

"I'm not," the detective said, grinning rather bitterly at the woman. "You're just imagining things."

Tomoyo glanced at the raven for a moment, then pursing her lips and crossing her arms. "Well, if that's what Misaki says, then I guess you're fine."

"Wow, threatening me now? You're so sweet." Watari chuckled as he eyed the woman, noting her slightly bemused expression. He couldn't help but scratch his head, now crossing his arms and raising a brow. "You know something, dear? I do find it quite odd you're still trying to talk to me."

Tomoyo frowned. "What do you mean?"

The detective shrugged. "Nothing really, Moe, but I'm just curious. People who's been harassed usually don't want to go back to their own abuser."

Watari was now silent. He slowly began to observe the woman's expression silently, now judging her every movement and action.

Tomoyo looked genuinely shocked at what the detective said, eyes slightly widened and eyebrows raised. She seemed to be pursing her lips for a while, but with her hands gripping at her sides, she quickly cleared her throat and replied, "I just, well, think you're not that bad of a person."

Watari inwardly scoffed to himself. _Do people really not care about their own safety and common sense?_

Before Tomoyo and Watari could say anything more, they noticed one of the doors opening. They looked ahead to find Yume, the nihilist yawning before her sleepy eyes scanned the area. Eyes focused ahead to the two short Ultimates, and she frowned.

"Great," she mumbled under her breath.

"Uh, hello." Even Tomoyo looked baffled, blinking a couple or so times. "How are you today?"

"Mm, not good, to be honest," Yume responded. Tomoyo threw Watari a look, and the detective smirked in return as Yume groggily walked towards the duo. "Shouldn't you two be at the cafetiera right now…? Decebel or Blaise might come here and drag you two."

Watari smugly pointed to the screenwriter. "She's just being a dear and picking me up. Nothing more, nothing less."

The nihilist raised a brow. "Oh, that's interesting, I guess."

"Y-yeah…" Tomoyo was unsure of what to do, her face completely expressing that of awkwardness and nervousness. She kept her posture steady however, eyes still turned to Yume's direction. "I'll see you at the cafeteria then."

"Yeah, sure." Yume shrugged and walked ahead, leaving the dormitories.

It went silent for a while before Watari chuckled, amused as he focused his attention back to the screenwriter. "So, that aside, breakfast is calling out for our dear stomachs, so let's not waste time and move, alright?"

Tomoyo nodded her head slowly. "Mhm."

The pair headed over to the cafeteria, an awkward silence between the duo. Watari knew that Tomoyo, while being rather assertive as can be in her voice, was an awkward individual once taken out of her comfort zone. He knew that she was unsure of how to approach him that would serve her effectively, and while he did respect her for being able to approach him at all, he would rather have her leave him alone. She was just another burden over his back, after all.

 _Well, nonetheless, I'm sure she'll leave me alone sooner or later if I keep responding to her actions negatively._

Watari opened the doors to the cafeteria and walked inside, Tomoyo following a step behind him. The detective smirked as he noticed everybody inside, Decebel having prepared everything beforehand.

"Tomoyo!" Misaki called out, waving her arms to and fro. She smiled widely as the screenwriter eagerly took a seat next to her and Masako, the surgeon grabbing ahold of Tomoyo's arm and leaning against her. "How are you, my sleepy pie~?"

"I'm not as sleepy as last time," Tomoyo mused, giggling. "You're exaggerating."

"O-oh, right!" Masako turned to eye the screenwriter, a childish amount of excitement in her freckled face. ""M-Misaki and I want to take a walk outside after this and play a few games. W-would you like to join us?"

Tomoyo's green eyes brightened immediately, the woman clapping her hands together. "I would love to! I really love the outdoors."

"I-I know right?" Masako nodded her head rapidly. "I-it feels so nice to go outside and just bathe u-under the sunlight."

Misaki grinned. "Luckily we have a place where we can go outdoors then, haha!"

"Oh, that reminds me actually-" Blanchard turned to eye Watari, having finished chewing into his piece of egg. "-you're going out with Shinji, right?"

"Uhh…" Watari turned to eye Shinjimae. It seemed like the animal whisperer didn't hear him, given that Shinjimae turned to eye him curiously before smiling happily at him. The detective sighed and looked back to Blanchard. "Yeah. Why are you asking?"

Blanchard softly smiled and bowed his head down. "I was planning to accompany people who were going outside later with Viorel. We want to tour around the garden again."

Watari nodded his head slowly. "... You really do like flowers, huh?"

"Yes, flowers are representative of what happened during my time home." Blanchard eyed the detective kindly. "I am representative of one, after all."

The eyepatch switched, revealing Viorel who released a sigh. "Blanche, you really like talking about home, huh?"

Watari eyed the duo curiously, but then felt a tap on his shoulder. He inwardly frowned, but turned his head to find Kyatchi smirking at him. "What do you need?"

Kyatchi chuckled mockingly, wiggling his brows. "Oh, just something between you and I. Come, come."

The detective threw him a suspicious glance, but sighed and forfeited. He had no reason to decline anyways, and so he leaned his head over towards Kyatchi.

"So," the juggler was whispering in the detective's ear. Kyatchi looked around the room for a bit, then continued, "I'm not the only one who thinks this, right? That everyone here's fucking crazy?"

Watari raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"

Kyatchi scrunched his nose. "The fact that everyone's so fine and dandy, and the fact that we're in a fucking a killing game. That rings a bell?"

 _So he noticed it too?_ Watari looked at the juggler and smirked, murmuring back, "Why're you talking to me about it though? Shouldn't you just bring this up with everyone?"

"Pfft, Blaise told me to keep things happy, so hell no." Kyatchi shrugged. "Besides, I only told you because you're a detective, nonetheless Monokuma's little bitch."

"Aww, and why would I help you then if you called me a bitch?" Watari crossed his arms, grinning smugly. "Besides, what do you want me to do? To stand up and bitch about that?"

The juggler sighed. "Well… It's creepy, you know? Remember what you said about everyone possibly being murderers?"

Watari frowned. "So, you believe in what I said then?"

"I mean…" Kyatchi laughed awkwardly as he looked back to the group. "This just screams psychopath at me."

"Well, you don't care though." Watari glanced at the juggler amusingly. "You just want to die."

"Well, no shit, Sherlock." Kyatchi smirked mockingly as he moved a hand over to pat the detective on the back. "Well, Mr. Detective, let's hear your input."

"It's not like you'll do anything about it," Watari mumbled, glancing away. He honestly knew he could just give in and tell Kyatchi everything he thought about, but honestly speaking- he didn't trust anyone at all. He didn't want to trust anyone.

Telling Tomoyo about Tsubaki and their location was one thing. Telling people his feelings was another thing, but telling someone else about his plans on handling the killing game made him queasy. It was private to him and if he told someone about it- they would rat him out and have him killed.

Kyatchi seemed to notice the hesitation in Watari's eyes, the juggler sighing and scratching his head. "Do you know why I hate censorship so much?"

Watari looked over at the juggler confusingly. "Huh?"

"There's a reason why I like messing with Blaise, y'know? Optimistic people suck." Kyatchi chuckled dryly. "The world is nothing more than full of shit. People are such liars and hypocrites. They always shove people's words in their mouths and they always try to 'reform' people or shit. It sucks."

Watari was silent, unsure of what to say.

Kyatchi smirked, looking at the detective with an interested gaze. "Just… well, I know I was a bit weird yesterday, but it's fine if you talk to others about your problems, y'know?"

The detective felt himself becoming slightly red, embarrassed. He quickly threw on a small smirk and mocked, "Since when did you care about people?"

"I do care, but being sappy's not really my cup of tea." The redhead crossed his arms and finally turned back to eye the group, talking in his usual tone and voice, "You're just someone I could relate to, honestly."

Watari flinched at this, face continuing to stay that slight hue of red. He couldn't help but think about his family, expression becoming slightly melancholic as he slowly drank into his cup of water.

"Hey, Ari." Misaki seemed to have noticed the detective's face, eyebrows raised. "You don't look fine. You good?"

"I'm fine." Watari quickly feigned a smirk, scoffing. "You're such a worrywart, Misa."

The surgeon frowned. "I bet you pulled an all-nighter, didn't you? You look really pale and sleepy right now."

Watari raised a brow. He looked over to Tomoyo who threw him a worried look, then scoffed and shrugged once he looked back at Misaki. "Don't worry about me. Focus more on yourselves."

"I mean…" Misaki threw him another worried look, but sighed and nodded her head. "Whatever you say then, Ari."

Watari sighed, finally feeling at ease with everyone now ignoring him. He quickly finished his meal before he was done, noting how Misaki and her friends were going to go outside, Decebel following suit to tend to the garden (after they washed the dishes of course), Kyatchi and Yume doing their own things, and Akio and Ayako deciding to move somewhere.

The detective scratched his head as he placed the plates down in the sink, right where Decebel were washing. He looked over at Decebel for a moment, but left immediately after they looked at him- he didn't want to bother speaking to them, after all.

He bit into his lips as he closed the door behind him. He looked around the area for a bit before noticing Shinjimae and Saki.

 _Oh, they waited for me._ Watari slowly composed himself into a relaxed stance as Shinjimae and Saki walked over to him. "How are you two?"

Shinjimae smiled widely, his hand on Saki's fluffy head. "W-we're both good! Erm, uh, h-how about you?"

"Fine as always." Watari shrugged the concern away without a second. "So, are you thinking about teaching me now?"

Shinjimae nodded his head excitedly. "M-mhm! Erm, w-well, if you're fine with it n-now, of course."

The detective chuckled and winked at the animal whisperer amusingly. "I'm fine with it, Shinji. Whatever you want."

Shinjimae giggled happily. "Hehe, o-of course. W-well, we shouldn't s-swim now since w-we ate and all, but… Erm, w-we can walk there at least?"

The detective nodded his head. "Sure, lead the way then, dear."

Shinjimae nodded his again, and quickly walked out with Saki. Watari chuckled as he followed the animal whisperer and the labrador out, following them outside. He sighed as he felt the sunlight shining down on him, especially once he followed Shinjimae and Saki outside.

Watari sighed, looking around the area. The sunlight that shone through the glass ceiling felt welcoming to him in a sense- maybe it was because of the warmth; maybe it was because of the want to be outdoors. Well, nonetheless, Watari was the type of person who enjoyed basking underneath the sunlight, so he supposed his want to focus on his surroundings was because of that.

The detective looked over to the warehouse that was closest to him and Shinjimae. Watari wondered if anyone would be inside and, although he was curious in seeing what was inside for further investigation, he figured that can wait till later. A thought did ran through his mind over the motive Monokuma had given him and the other Ultimates, but concerning how everyone was reacting (or having a lack of reaction) to the dilemma Watari figured it wasn't of much worth at the moment.

 _Though, I do have to be cautious about these things. It's either kill someone and live, or have everyone die instead. Tomorrow's where time would really tick down till the Church bells ring._

Watari frowned, cupping his chin as he followed Shinjimae and Saki down the path, a few steps away.

… _But what if everyone's acting normal because they're all planning their own murder? They can't just forget about the consequences to if no one commits murder. Everyone's stupid though. Humans can kill and are selfish. They just don't want to kill because of reputation… but… I don't know-_

"W-Watari?"

The raven looked over at Shinjimae. He wasn't surprised that Shinjimae noticed him in his train of thought- everybody seemed to notice him during his time of thinking, after all. "Yes? What's wrong, dearie?"

The animal whisperer's eyes widened. "A-ah, it's nothing! Erm, I-I was just worried, t-that's all. Y-you look like you're thinking about something?"

"I always do, don't worry about that." Watari winked playfully, pointing finger guns at the taller man. "Anyways, how are you holding up? You're not tired or the like, sweetie?"

Shinjimae smiled widely and shook his head. "I-I'm doing fine! N-not tired at all, hehe."

Watari hummed in amusement as they then continued down the pavement, slowly but surely reaching the building where the swimming pool and hot spring would be. It took about a few minutes or so before they reached the building, Saki barking happily at the sight as she ran over to the entrance. Shinjimae released a soft giggle as he headed over and opened the door, letting Saki and Watari inside.

"S-should we get changed now?" Shinjimae asked, looking over to the detective with his usual doe-shaped green eyes. The freckled man was eyeing Watari expectantly.

Watari scratched his head awkwardly, averting his gaze. "Uh… sure."

The animal whisperer nodded and walked into the changing room. The detective eyed the changing room for a moment, then turning to eye Saki who stayed near the entrance. She wagged her tail happily before Watari sighed, moving over into the changing room to meet Shinjimae.

The animal whisperer was already changing, smiling as he threw on his usual swimwear. He grabbed ahold of the sunscreen and applied it to himself, then putting on his colorful flip flops and looking excitedly at Watari who slowly changed into his trunks and threw on a loose black shirt that was hung on a hanger- he was still self-conscious, honestly..

"I-I really like the clothes here," the animal whisperer admitted, checking himself out. He was swaying his body back and forth, laughing. "I-it's so colorful."

Watari eyed the man for a moment, then clearing his throat. "Well, dear, since we're here and all…" The detective blushed slightly, embarrassed. "... Well, what are you going to teach me anyways? How to float?"

Shinjimae nodded his head slowly. "Mhm. I-I think it's fine if we go, well, erm, slow. Y-you don't how to float, er, right?"

"I mean…" The raven sighed, shaking his head. "Yeah, I don't."

The animal whisperer smiled as he noticed the embarrassment on Watari's face. "T-that's fine! I-I'll teach you, o-of course!"

Watari sighed, deciding not to let it bother him too much. He looked around the area for a moment, then back to Shinjimae who finished applying sunscreen on himself. The detective raised a brow while musing, "So, are we ready?"

"Mhm!" Shinjimae took out a lifejacket. "L-let me put this on Saki a-and then we can go."

Watari watched the animal whisperer who made a hop to his steps as he walked out of the changing room. The detective couldn't help but sigh, scratching his head. _He's certainly a happy one._

The detective took another look at the area, wanting to be alone and to himself for a few seconds. He did notice there was a petal on the ground, but figuring it was already dried up and beginning to decay, Watari shrugged it off and walked outside, finding Shinjimae who was strapping Saki to the lifejacket.

Shinjimae victoriously smiled as he finished strapping Saki, the animal whisperer standing on his two feet and crossing his arms. "Hehe, I-I did it!"

Saki wagged her tail happily and nuzzled herself against her owner. Shinjimae giggled before looking over to Watari. "I-I think we're ready."

"Uhuh, sure." Watari shrugged amusingly. "Let's go then."

Shinjimae smiled and he moved, bringing Saki over with Watari. They walked over to the swimming pool, finding themselves alone in their watery paradise.

The animal whisperer grinned and turned to the detective. "I-I think we should get started, r-right? Oh, erm, d-do you want a drink from the v-vending machine first?"

"No, I'm fine." Watari looked at the man for a moment, then smirking. "You know, if you want a drink, you can just get one. I won't judge."

Shinjimae blushed and immediately shook his head. "N-no, I'm fine!"

Watari chuckled amusingly. "Whatever you say, dear."

Watari looked around the swimming pool for a moment, then noticing Shinjimae who gently gestured Saki to the pool. The labrador wagged her tail happily before lapping around. Shinjimae smiled sweetly, then turned to eye Watari.

"W-we won't go that deep." Shinjimae laughed sheepishly. "T-that's alright with you, erm, right?"

Watari nodded slowly. "Anything works with me, dear."

The animal whisperer smiled and stepped into the pool, finding himself at ease. It seemed like the edges of the pool weren't that deep- possibly around three or four feet.

Watari bit into his lips and placed his foot into the water, feeling its rather cold, although still rather lukewarm, temperature. He looked over at Shinjimae who eyed him for a moment, then quickly ignoring the animal whisperer and stepping inside. He forced back the urge to hiss at the water's temperature, instead looking over to Shinjimae who gently grabbed ahold of his shoulders.

"I-it's okay!" Shinjimae tried to comfort the detective, keeping him on his feet. "I-I won't make you drown."

"You better." Watari averted his gaze. He hated how he had to depend on Shinjimae to keep him steady. "So… what do we do?"

Shinjimae chuckled, slowly pulling Watari forward. "H-here, I'll show you… J-just follow me."

"Are you sure?" Watari threw him a worried, suspicious look.

Shinjimae threw the detective a sweet gaze. "J-just trust me on this."

Watari averted his gaze. He couldn't help but feel his stomach churn. Even if he knew Shinjimae was a sweet person, he couldn't help but worry. Still, seeing Shinjimae's pleading and excited expression- he just couldn't refuse. He thought for a moment, then sighing and nodded his head. "Fine. I'll trust you."

And, with those simple words, Shinjimae grabbed ahold of Watari's hands and pulled him into the deeper ends of the pool. Watari was embarrassed, but he had no choice. He clung onto Shinjimae as the animal whisperer began to tell him what to do. Watari bit into his lips as he heard what Shinjimae said, the animal whisperer helping him to lay his body down and make him float.

A few minutes or so passed before Watari began to try floating by himself. He was right about to release himself from Shinjimae's grasp before he heard footsteps coming in.

"Oh."

Watari's face immediately became red as he saw who was inside of the building now- it was Decebel, the butler eyeing the duo. The detective would've quickly threw his head underneath the water in an attempt to hide his embarrassment, but he couldn't- well, he could, but he found himself shocked. It wasn't only Decebel, but it was the body on the butler that shocked him.

 _Was Decebel trying to hide all those scars on their body…?_

"Aish." Viorel immediately came to be, sighing. "Blanche, I told you they were still here. We should've asked Master Masako to help us hide the scars with makeup again."

"My apologies." Blanchard sighed. He then looked over to the duo and bowed his head down. "It is good to see you two again. How are you?"

Watari bit into his lips, his cheeks still red. "Nevermind us. Why are you two here? I thought you wanted to tend to the garden."

"Ah, we did," Blanchard began, calmly, "We decided to come here to relax for a while afterwards though. I thought you two had left already, honestly."

"N-no, we didn't." Shinjimae awkwardly smiled. "Erm… uh…"

"Oh." Blanchard looked down at his body. "Right. I'm sorry, are you two concerned over my scars? I didn't mean to perturb you two."

Shinjimae glanced at Watari, then to Saki. He looked over to Blanchard nervously, saying, "Y-you are not bothering us a-at all. Erm, well, y-you can stay with us i-if you want… you don't bother us…"

Blanchard shook his head. "I'll just rest before you two are done, Master Shinji. You two seem occupied with yourselves and I don't want to bother you two."

The eyepatch switched, turning over to Viorel. "That is so cute, Master Watari."

Watari's face became red. "S-shut it…"

Watari glared at the butler who smirked at him, then leaving to take a seat down. The detective did wanted to ask about the butler's scars regardless, but figuring Shinjimae would look down on him for it, nonetheless Viorel did seem slightly annoyed about the duo seeing the scars, he decided against it- especially since he felt himself sinking.

"Shinji!" The detective grabbed onto the animal whisperer tightly. He couldn't help but frown at the man. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

"S-sorry!" Shinjimae quickly brought the detective to the edge, pulling Watari up. "B-Blanchard and Viorel just c-caught me off guard…"

Watari eyed the animal whisperer for a moment, then eyeing Saki who easily got out from the pool and ran over to cuddle against the detective. He sighed as he felt her wet fur against his wet clothes.

 _I don't even want to learn anymore because of this._ Although, nonetheless, Watari still felt bad for the animal whisperer. He watched Shinjimae who got up from the pool. "We can continue tomorrow if you want then, dear. I'm a bit tired."

"Ah, t-that's fine of course." Shinjimae threw Watari a small smile. "W-whatever you prefer, hehe."

The detective chuckled and stood up, throwing a nearby towel over him. He quickly dried his hair and body, then gesturing Shinjimae and Saki to the changing room.

The duo were inside of the changing room now, Shinjimae having brought Saki with him into one of the showerheads to make sure his pet was clean and fresh. Watari went to his own shower room and washed himself, washing the chlorine away.

A few minutes or so passed before Watari finished. He dried himself well before putting on his clothes, sighing. A few minutes passed before he saw Shinjimae and Saki out, the duo looking relaxed and calm.

"L-let's walk back."

Watari nodded. "Uhuh."

The duo easily made their way back into the building, seeing as no one was around to either bother them, or there weren't any dilemmas which slowed them down. Once reaching inside of the building with a few minutes spent on conversation, they slowly looked at each other and waved goodbye to one another, leaving Watari alone to do his own bidding.

 _Okay then…_ Watari crossed his arms. _What should I do now?_

The detective looked around the area for a moment, wondering to himself. He did think about going to the library to investigate more into what Monokuma said, but he knew he wasn't focused at the moment. He could rest and take a sleep, but to him that was a waste of time. He didn't necessarily want to be alone, but at the same time he felt like it was too much for him to hang out around people.

 _Ah, well, it doesn't matter. Tadaomi…_ Watari frowned. _He would definitely do something even if he was tired. I'll go investigate then._

The detective sighed, scratching his head. He decided it didn't hurt to walk around the school and investigate the areas more closely, although he had done such a thing a couple or so times by now. He wasn't exactly sure where everyone would be, but it didn't matter. He didn't need anyone to accompany him, or for him to annoy- he was fine investigating by his lonesome.

 _Although, not that I think about it, I should go check up on everyone and see what I can learn from them more._

Watari looked around the area. He didn't see anyone around him, though feeling a chill from around the proximity, he sighed and looked over to find Yume.

"Oh." Yume noticed him back in return. It seemed like she had been outside, the door behind her having closed. "Watari."

The detective smirked. "What were you doing outside? I thought you were a hikikomori or NEET or something, dear."

Yume raised a brow. "I'm not in my room all the time, remember?"

The detective snickered. "Uhuh, sure, whatever you believe."

"If you really want to know," the woman began, mumbling in a slightly annoyed voice, "Kyatchi asked me to help him search around the warehouse for a bit."

Watari's eyes widened. "Really? Why?"

"Something about hiding them somewhere, throwing them in the furnace and dumpster, something?" Yume shrugged. "I don't know why he asked me though… He just bothers me."

The detective chuckled. "Well, is Kya still outside? Why did you come here if you're supposed to help him?"

Yume frowned. "We're done. Kyatchi already left, and I just wanted to rest before going back to my room. Nothing special."

"Hm?" Watari raised a brow. "Then what did you do with the boxes?"

Yume sighed. "Kyatchi and I threw them near the furnace and dumpster. We didn't burn them, but just hid them since Kyatchi figured no one really checks that place out."

Watari nodded his head slowly. "Ah, I see. Interesting to know that Kya's being more useful than everyone else at the moment."

"Even more than you?" the nihilist asked, slightly sarcastic.

The detective smirked. "Hmm, well, maybe." He then stopped, eyeing the woman for a moment. He cupped his chin before asking, "Well, dear, why don't we talk for a little longer?"

"Huh? Why?" Yume squinted at the man. "I have nothing to say."

"Surely not!" Watari clapped his hands childishly. "I'm sure you have more to say than you actually want me to believe."

Yume glared at the man, but sighed, mumbling, "Whatever you want then. I don't care."

Watari grinned.

* * *

 **Do you want to hang out with Yume Hamasaki?**

 _ **[Sure, let's do it!]**_ / I'm fine, no.

* * *

 **Watari:** So, my dear, tell me more about yourself.

 **Yume:** … I honestly have nothing to say. I'm not that interesting to talk to, remember? I don't have anything.

 **Watari:** I'm sure that's a lie. How about this- we talk about how you became such a nihilistic woman!

 **Yume:** That's… why?

 **Watari:** Because I'm curious, obviously. Dear, do you not know what I'm like?

 **Yume:** I guess you have a point, but I mean… it's nothing special.

 **Watari:** I'm sure you have a lot to say. Besides, I'm not an language teacher, so I don't really care about how long your speech is or whatnot.

 **Yume:** Alright then, fine.

 **Yume:** All you need to know is that my parents divorced when I was nine. It's already obvious seeing your parents getting divorced isn't a good experience, especially since you're being brought back and forth between them for life.

 **Watari:** Ah, yeah, I see. That definitely isn't a good experience, dear. Sadly, I can't relate to that. Well, are you the only child?

 **Yume:** … No. I mean, I have an older sister, but she ran away when I turned eleven. I don't know where she is now. We don't keep in touch.

 **Watari:** Oh, I see. That's horrible.

 **Yume:** Do you really care about that? I bet you don't.

 **Watari:** I do. Family is important, after all.

 **Yume:** I mean, I can't agree with you, honestly.

 **Watari:** Ah, that's fine. It's not like I'll censor your beliefs. I just like to learn about you, dear, y'know?

 **Yume:** Yeah, I guess…

 **Yume:** Can I go now?

 **Watari:** Hm? Ah, sure. Whatever you want, cutie.

 **Yume:** Alright then.

With that settled, Yume immediately and quickly left the scene. The woman was walking down the hallways, Watari figuring she was walking over to her dorm room.

* * *

 **Yume Hamasaki's Profile Card: 2/2**

 **Note:** Yume was able to provide a bit of information about her past, although she left immediately afterwards. Her parents had divorced when she was nine and since then Yume was thrown between the two. Her older sister, on the other hand, had abandoned her and the family when Yume turned eleven.

* * *

Watari sighed, crossing his arms. He looked around the area for a moment, then biting into his lips. Well, since there was no one else in sight, he decided to investigate around the building.

However, he first decided to check out the furnace and dumpster room. He walked inside, feeling slightly hot from the temperature. He looked over at the furnace, noticing it wasn't on. He sighed and looked around now, easily finding the boxes in the room.

 _Hm… let's see…_

For half an hour or so, Watari looked through what was inside of the boxes, checking each one thoroughly and carefully.

Like expected, he did notice a few small, irrelevant objects inside some of the boxes. He found a few rolls of duct tape, rope, sun screen, tennis balls, etc. However, looking through some of the other boxes, he did find a few interesting things to note- some tasers, chloroform bottles, gags and other adult objects, handcuffs, batons, etc. They were objects that you wouldn't see in any normal warehouse, but considering Monokuma, Watari figured Monokuma was more than willing to mess with the group a bit.

 _I know Kyatchi's reasoning makes the tiniest bit of sense, but maybe it's better if he and Yume did throw them over the furnace or dumpster._ Watari bit into his lips, eyeing the boxes worriedly. _It might be better if he and Yume just kept them on top of the shelves, but given the ladders and that Akio and Yume before could easily look through them with Misaki, hm…_

Watari shrugged it off. He figured he can talk to Kyatchi and Yume about it later. He glanced around the area for a moment before sighing, leaving the room and heading back into the hallways.

Finding nothing else to do, nonetheless his stomach grumbling, he decided he had no other choice than to move to the cafeteria. He made his way over without much struggle, opening the door.

Heading inside, he found himself looking over to Akio and Ayako. The duo seemed to be eating some food, Ayako eating to herself as Akio seemed to have just finished biting a piece of waffle down.

"Oh, Watari." Akio looked over to the detective and waved. "Are you hungry already?"

"Ah, a little." Watari glanced at the duo for a moment, then throwing a small smirk. "Seems like you two are getting along well. Maybe you two like each other~"

Ayako quickly glanced away, pouting, "That is not the case."

Akio awkwardly laughed. "Anyways, I'm guessing Tomoyo and her friends are outside?"

"I assume so." Watari crossed his arms. "Blanchard and Viorel went swimming too. Yume and Kyatchi just came back from a little walk."

"Makes sense though." Akio then looked over at the lolita fashion model. "You should go outside too. It's good to get some fresh air, y'know?"

Watari glanced at Ayako who simply pouted and continued to eat into her meal.

The detective decided to get some food, grabbing some leftovers. He ate to himself as he listened to Akio and Ayako talk for a bit. It didn't take long before Decebel came back, bowing their head to the trio before making their way to cook dinner. Watari sighed and finished his food, telling Decebel he'd eat most likely later or so, Hearing the approval from Decebel, Watari headed over to his room.

Immediately, upon making his way to the room, he threw himself on the bed sheets. He had almost forgotten he was tired, the eyebags under his eyes becoming more darker than he realized. His head found itself slightly hot and aching, and immediately the man knew he should rest.

Honestly, he didn't want to rest. It would be a waste of time if he did, but knowing how his head was already pounding at him, and especially with his body screaming at him, he stayed at his bed and kept himself steady.

 _Let's see… I wonder how everyone will react once tomorrow comes? It's either kill someone and escape without a trial, or do nothing and cause us all to die._

Watari bit into his lips, staring at the ceiling.

 _I wonder what Kyatchi's going to do actually. He brought Yume into his own plan too. I wonder if she even cares._

The detective released a soft yawn, closing his eyes.

 _Does anyone even care other than them though? Everyone else looks so happy. It makes me wonder if they really are what Monokuma told me they were._

Watari was silent now, thinking back to what Monokuma told him. He remembered how interested the bear was when he told the detective about this little tidbit- Watari was unsure if it was real or not, but figuring it would bring discord among the group, he accepted the overseer's words as fact and immediately brought the news.

… _I don't remember killing anyone. I don't see why I'd kill someone._

Watari's heart was beating at its normal pace, and soon, soon-

-the detective fell asleep.

* * *

... And that is the end of the chapter! Well, we're basically one chapter off from the revelation on who's dead! I wonder who will bite the dust, hehe. You can go vote on my profile on who you think will die if you want!

Okay, and like always, let's do some promotion!

 **Danganronpa: Final Flight** by Shirasaur

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** by Prince PokePersona

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** by RioA (moi, honey~)

 **Fogbound Castaways** by Sharkeye

... And that is all! I'll see you next time, hehe~


	25. Chapter 3 - Part 1, Part E

Hello, and I am finally here with another chapter for this story! I'm sorry if this chapter took a while to get out. I was a bit busy this week, but I'm happy I managed to get this chapter out! Anyways, not much to say as always, so let's get the show started!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "New chapter is always awesome! Hehe, of course, everyone always wants to wonder who dies and who doesn't. Watari and Shinji, yes. I love cute relationships, haha. Tomoyo's too sweet for her own good. Kyatchi is the best, of course, of course. He's a real one, that boy. The characters here are scary. Poor Decebel with the scars. Pfft, Black Butler. I used to watch that. Poor Yume, we must give her love! Watari is a sleepy boi, yes. Chapter 3 cases suck, help me, Sona. Aww, thanks! Yes, of course I'll give you the plug~"

 **Guest:** "7.8/10 too much water - IGN"

 **Meta King:** "Nah, you good. I can tell it's you anyways~ Save Yume from the world."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Ack, another long review, but yes, of course. Well, if you can, oof. Watari's an interesting boyo, and Tadaomi's a great idol, totally. Follow the pathway to darkness please. Don't you love routine? Watari's a weird boy and Shinji is a good boy! Yes, we must make sure Ayako's fine. He's a suspicious one, isn't he. Yes, be suspicious of everything. Everything is suspicious. Poor Tomoyo, the relationship is too sour. People are too nice, and too weird. Yume's a good girl, yes. Please protect her. Yes, keep that trio happy and safe. Kyatchi's the cynical boy, so yes he will be disgusted towards the optimism. He's a good boy, definitely. Yes, definitely. Swimming is great, someone should teach me. Shinji's a cute person. Haha, how does one swim? Decebel needs help. Masako's a good girl, yes, totally not suspicious. Free time events, yay! Yes, of course, suspicious things are suspicious. Hehe, oh shit you noted it. Haha, suspicions are suspicious. Aaah, reviews. You torment me ):"

* * *

"Woah, you ended up puking again. I thought you said that you were going to be stronger now?"

"Yeah, I know… I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize. I know you can't help it. You just suddenly took up this job and you're still young, kid."

"It's okay… I-I'm fine now. I'll help out with investigating the scene of the crime."

"I don't mind if you take a break for a bit. I know you're feeling a bit sick right now. I know this is serious, but I don't want to cause one of my own men to stress out so much. It's not good for your health."

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

"No, are you sure? I don't want to push you or anything."

"Yeah… I'm sure. Please don't worry about me."

* * *

Watari heard a knocking on the door. It had been a few minutes since the morning announcement rang, and a few minutes after he had washed himself up and changed his clothes. He was now currently looking through the MonoPad to check what was in the chatrooms- the group chatroom was the same, chaotic with mainly Kyatchi teasing Akio; Shinjimae asking Watari about his morning; Akio being strangely friendly to him; and et cetera and et cetera.

The door was knocking, and he walked over to open it. He found himself staring at Shinjimae and Tomoyo. A small smirk arose to his face- the animal whisperer and screenwriter were adamant on talking to him. It was cute, to an extent, but it was annoying as well- of course, especially because Decebel and Akio and the others were also trying to reach out to him.

Watari eyed the duo before pointing finger guns at them, chuckling. "Nice to see you. Surprised Shinji and Saki are with you today though, Moe."

"Ah, I ran into him when I was walking to your door." Tomoyo crossed her arms. She looked into Watari's eyes for a moment, then clearing her throat and asking, "So, you do know we have today left to… you know, kill your target, right?"

"Yeah." Watari eyed the woman amusingly. "I'm surprised you wanted to bring it up. No one seems to care, after all."

"I, uh, I-I think they just don't want to, erm… well, ruin the mood," Shinjimae murmured, awkwardly smiling at the detective. "E-Everyone seems to worry more about e-each other, so…"

"But this is the last day," Tomoyo retorted, eyeing the animal whisperer.

"I-I know… but…" Shinjimae looked over to Saki and held her tightly. "M-maybe someone's doing something?"

"You're quite optimistic. Cute." Watari chuckled. He crossed his arms and observed the screenwriter, noting her obvious worried and nervous expression. "So, why are you asking me about this? If anything, shouldn't you be talking to Misa and Masako about this?"

"Well…" Tomoyo was silent for a moment, hands tapping against her hips. She was obviously in her train of thought, lips slightly pursed. "It's the last day, and I admit I have been ignoring about this till now. I don't exactly know anyone else who is willing or doing something about this, and… Okay, well, I think you're the most viable option if I wanted to get a second thought that's concerning the killing game."

 _Hm, so Kyatchi and Yume haven't told anyone about what they did yet. I feel like someone will figure this out sooner or later though._ Then again, he figured, Yume didn't mind telling him about what she orchestrated with the juggler. The detective, having concluded this, cleared his throat and began, "Well, dearie, I'm surprised you even want to talk to me. I'm not that nice to you."

Tomoyo averted her gaze. "I know, but… I know you want to help us."

 _This again?_ Watari forced back the urge to grimace. Instead, he simply smirked at the woman and continued with, "Sweetheart, please, you're delusioning yourself."

The screenwriter was hurt, but shook her head and kept her ground. She knew Shinjimae was looking at them in worry, and she knew better than to allow her emotions to control her. She simply cleared her throat and said, "Well, nonetheless, I want your input."

Watari thought for a moment. He noticed Shinjimae who was eyeing him expectantly, then to Tomoyo. He chuckled. "Alright then. What do you want?"

Tomoyo balled her hands. "I want to know if there's any way you can convince or stop Monokuma from killing us. If not, I want to know what you think about reminding everyone else about the motive and seeing if we should unite everyone in order to make a plan."

Watari's eyes slightly widened at this, and he couldn't help but cup his chin and ponder. He never really thought about it, to be honest, but at the same time he was more concerned over the killing game as a whole, not the motive. He glanced over to Shinjimae who threw him a comforting smile, then to Saki who was nuzzling herself against her owner. He pursed his lips and looked back to Tomoyo.

"I'll remind you this though," and he raised a finger, "I could easily lie to you and I'm nothing more than Monokuma's helper, not what your optimistic brain thinks. Would you really trust me?"

Tomoyo nodded her head immediately. "You're the only one who'd mention this killing game since the start of it all."

The raven smirked dryly. "And the one who's mistreated you."

And never apologized to, but Watari knew best not to get himself involved in that at the moment- apologizing was presently, and seemingly will still be, a sign of weakness to him.

"That's fine." He knew the screenwriter's expression was between slight unease and disgust, but she hid it well. "I just want to know what you think before I take the initiative. I just want to hear what you think, honestly."

The detective sighed, rubbing his hands together. He supposed he could entertain the woman for a bit, pointing to her in a slightly childish manner before saying, "Monokuma may have allowed me into his little bubble, but he's not dumb. I may know things you guys don't know, but, honey, he's not dumb enough to shove everything into my face."

"... I see." The woman nodded her head slowly. "Then, what do you think about reminding everyone about the motive and trying to work out a plan with them?"

Watari frowned. "Well, I want to ask you this- do you trust all of them?"

Tomoyo frowned in return. "What? Do I trust them?"

The detective chuckled, leaning himself against the wall. He noticed and threw Shinjimae a wink before continuing to focus on the woman. "I know you were close to Kiyoko, so, let me ask you this- are you willing to completely and utterly trust Ayako and Decebel? I know Aki allowed them back into his bubble, but what can be said of you?"

The woman was silent, her mouth slightly opened in an attempt to find the words to say.

"I see." The raven's lips curved to a small smirk. "Okay, then let me phrase it differently- do you believe that people like Shinji can kill someone?"

"Shinji?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "I… I mean, I want to say that anyone could kill, but I find it hard imagining Shinji as a killer."

Watari chuckled as he waved at Shinjimae, the animal whisperer smiling awkwardly. "Okay, then how about this- do you believe someone like Ayako has the nerves to kill someone? Or, let's downplay that- do you believe Ayako's the type of person who would try to steal the spotlight in a fashion gig or hoard something of high interest?"

Tomoyo gulped. "Well, given the past trials… I have to say yes."

"Then, you don't trust her." The detective clapped his hands together. "So, who do you trust enough to help you formulate a plan against Monokuma? Anyone other than her and Decebel?"

"But, even then…" The woman held her breath. "I still want to give them a chance. It's not good if we outcast them."

"Then you don't need my advice." Watari threw the woman an amused look, lips curled. "I get gauging for my behaviors is something in your head at the moment, but you really need to plan this better."

"I wasn't doing anything like that though," Tomoyo gasped, shocked. "I just wanted your advice."

"Really now?" Watari eyed the woman suspiciously, but sighed and crossed his arms. "Well, just do what you believe is best- that's what Aki's doing, Decebel's doing- hell, even Kyatchi's doing the same thing. You shouldn't feel the need to talk to me."

The woman bit into her lips. "... But, still, are you going to ask Monokuma about giving us more time?"

Watari was silent.

 _Should I? I feel like I'd just be appealing to everyone's good side if I ask, and I know either Monokuma or Tomoyo here will announce that I did it. If not, then everyone would be able to assume that it was because of me, and I don't want to look too friendly in front of them…_

"Well, who knows?" Watari grinned as he stepped outside. "Come on now, we should head over to the cafeteria. We're going to make everyone worried sick."

The detective quickly took the initiative to leave, and he could hear Shinjimae and Saki comforting Tomoyo. Watari paid it no mind, and walked over to the cafeteria. The door to the cafeteria was already opened, and so everyone easily pointed out to the trio as they headed inside and took their seats.

"Tomoyo!" Misaki immediately threw an arm around her friend's shoulder and pulled her to her side. "Geez, you took forever to get here!"

Masako smiled and happily nudged the screenwriter. "I-it's suspicious, hehe."

"It's not!" Tomoyo immediately became red as she noticed her friends' gazes to Watari. "You two tease me too much sometimes, you know?"

Shinjimae grabbed ahold of his grilled fish and smiled as he ate. He even fed some to Saki whose tail wagged from side to side.

Watari grabbed ahold of a rice bowl and poured a sunny side up egg over it. He sighed as he mixed the rice and egg together, then looking for the parsley and whatnot. He noticed Kyatchi who was murmuring something to Yume, then the juggler looking over to him and smirking.

"Yo," the juggler greeted. "Yume told you about yesterday?"

"Mhm." Watari bit into his food halfheartedly. "If you're planning to hide potential murder weapons, you should just barricade every place here."

"Hmm, good point." Kyatchi frowned. "Anyways, since it's the last day, I'm going to wait for someone to kill me. Better than no one, right? No one's doing jack shit."

"Yeah…" Watari glanced over to Tomoyo who threw him a look, then looking away and sighing. "But you don't know who's going to kill you. How would they know you're giving yourself away?"

Kyatchi laughed. "I'm already seeking death, so they should get the hint already. I'm going to be pissed if they don't kill me. They're wasting a good opportunity here."

Watari raised a brow. "Wait, then why did you hide the boxes?"

"Well, I did think that someone was planning to kill, and I thought it'd be best if we all miraculously came up with a plan to save us all." The juggler tugged at his bandannas. "But, that's useless and fucking stupid now that I think about it, so… death for me it is. Hm, maybe I should tape a note over my head that says 'kill me!'?"

"Hm…" Watari cupped his chin. "Has anyone mentioned anything about the motive yet?"

"Pfft, you're stupid." Kyatchi mockingly ruffled the detective's hair. "Everyone's a happy bean. I'm tempted to ruin the mood, but I'm too lazy, y'know?"

Watari deadpanned as he noticed the juggler mocking shrugging his shoulders. He took another look at Tomoyo then, observing her behaviors- she was talking to her friends and eating her food, but it was obvious she seemed on the bridge on both keeping silent and saying something. Hesitation and worry was written across her face, and the detective immediately knew that she was beginning to have second thoughts- was it from embarrassment or awkwardness? He didn't know.

 _I did do the same thing concerning the murderer theory._ Watari sighed. He figured he could take on the lead- nonetheless, he knew discussing the motive would cause people to stare angrily at him. No one liked to discuss murder or death in the slightest, and Watari was one of the few people who didn't mind the daggers thrown at him.

However, before he could do anything, he saw Tomoyo giving him a glance. He noticed the annoyed look in her eyes before she stood up and almost slammed her fists into the table.

"Huh?" Yume whipped her head to the screenwriter. "What the…?"

"Master Tomoyo?" Blanchard's face was that of pure shock and bafflement. "May I ask what is the meaning of this?"

Tomoyo looked at the group for a moment, heaved a deep breath of air, and began slowly, "I know this will dampen the mood, so forgive me for this."

"Heh." Kyatchi smirked. "Wonder what it is."

Tomoyo licked her lower lip and continued. "I want to bring up the topic of the motive and its time limit."

Uneasiness immediately filled the room. Like as Tomoyo said, the mood had dampened without a second to waste. It was an unsteady, heavy air.

"T-Tomoyo!" Masako grabbed at the woman's blouse and tugged on it, nervously laughing. "W-why are you bringing this up? It's…"

"It needs to be brought up," the screenwriter admitted, guilt written in her face. "We have today remaining. I don't want us to just do nothing."

Yume raised a brow. "Why are you bringing it up though?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What?"

"Shouldn't you just tell someone else about this? I don't mean to be rude or anything, but…" Yume sighed, shaking her head. "... Okay, but you're talking to us. We're not that trustworthy."

"Tomoyo." Misaki smiled awkwardly at the screenwriter. "You're really sweet, but you really shouldn't talk about this here."

"What?" Tomoyo was shocked. "Why? We only have today and-"

Akio put a hand up to Tomoyo's proximity. "I thought it was something we all agreed on, but… Look, we decided we'd planned what we would do to who we trust the most. Some of us can't agree on things together, so we all just decided to do what we do and not get in each other's way."

Tomoyo's fists began to clench tighter, body shaking. "What? That's not smart though. Since when have we decided that?"

The actor glanced away. "... No one was talking about it, and the few who do tend to make everyone else uncomfortable, so it's a silent contract sort of thing we thought of this morning."

"Yeah, I guess." Kyatchi snickered, simply amused for no certain reason. "I just do what I want. You guys aren't really that trustworthy to me- well, except for Yume. Shoutout to Yume!"

Yume groaned. "Oh my god."

"What?" The screenwriter almost found herself stumbling, Masako and Misaki eyeing her worriedly. "We never decided on anything like that. You… You guys just don't want to talk about this!"

Misaki quickly tugged at Tomoyo's blouse on her own and egged her to sit down, speaking in a worried tone, "I'm sorry, but it's something we decided on because of Ayako."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She turned to look at Ayako who immediately looked away and murmured underneath her breath, quietly, "Sorry."

"The topic of death and all that bothered her," the surgeon explained, pursing her lips. "We don't want to make anyone uncomfortable, and it's obvious we all hold our own opinions and different ideas, so… we just decided it was best to keep our own plans to do things to ourselves and whoever we trust. We… we can't talk about it here, okay?"

The screenwriter was baffled, unable to take in what Misaki said. She looked at the surgeon with what looked like betrayal, and her eyes began to tear up. "That… that doesn't make sense at all. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't make any sense."

Shinjimae gulped, immediately noticing the tension in the air. "T-Tomoyo…?"

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand any of this." Tomoyo's body was shaking as she looked over at the group, shaking her head violently. "It's like no one cares."

Masako's face paled. "T-Tomoyo, hey, c-calm down, please."

Tomoyo stepped back, biting hard into her lips. "I didn't want to believe what Kiyoko said at all about us being murderers. Seeing this is making me believe in her more and more, and I seriously don't want to believe that."

Her face then paled, and she quickly turned around and began heading to the door. "I'm sorry, I need to calm down. I'll be back… sorry."

Without anyone even being able to register anything, the screenwriter ran away.

Silence rang throughout the room, and Watari couldn't help but heave a deep breath of air. He could hear everyone murmuring to themselves and the others, and he knew something was obvious- everything would be over in a matter of seconds, and they would be back to their ignorance.

It frustrated him, but he knew- he couldn't allow himself to get emotional. He wasn't supposed to ally himself with Tomoyo, and he knew Masako or Misaki would run to comfort her- they already began to run outside, after all.

 _They're so stupid though. I can't believe it._ Watari chugged down his glass of water and sighed. He then stayed silent, biting into his lips. _Maybe I shouldn't have told her to follow her gut… Shit._

Kyatchi nudged at Watari's arm, speaking in a hushed voice, "Was that what you were talking about with Tomoyo? You two and Shinji came here late, after all."

The raven averted his gaze. "... Why didn't you stand up for Tomoyo?"

Kyatchi awkwardly chuckled and looked away. "Er, well, I'll be honest with you- I knew everyone wouldn't listen to her. She would've immediately be shut out- that's what I thought."

Watari frowned. "So, what's up with their stupid plan?"

"Honestly, I don't know at this point." Kyatchi shrugged. "Seems like everyone already accepted the idea of being killed. Apparently, to them, being killed together is better than outing someone out by murdering them. I'm going to try changing that though, hopefully."

 _Since when do people immediately accept dying over their own selfish lives?_ Watari gritted his teeth, but forced himself to steady and state dryly, "This group is a fucking mess."

Kyatchi laughed. "Yeah, it is. You could tell Tomoyo's really frustrated right now, and sadly she's the type who cares for everyone- not like you, me, or Yume."

 _The fucking irony of who cares for people's lives versus others._ Watari was disgusted now, and he immediately gulped down his food. He slammed his chopsticks down and stood up, looking over to the group with a slightly more annoyed look than he expected. "I'm done."

"Ah, already?" Blanchard eyed the detective curiously. "Would you care to eat dessert, Master Watari? I have some cake in the fridge."

"I rather not," the detective sneered. He smirked as he noticed the butler giving him a strange look, then easily making his way outside the cafeteria.

He immediately stretched his arms and sighed once he was a few feet away from the group's proximity. He looked around the area for a moment, then hearing his MonoPad buzzing. He frowned and took it out, seeing a message coming from Misaki and Masako.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Misaki)**

 **Misaki: Sorry to bother you. (09:05 AM)**

 **Misaki: But Tomoyo's not opening the door for us. (09:05 AM)**

 **Misaki: I know this might seem like a hassle to you, but can you talk to her for us? (09:05 AM)**

 **Misaki: I feel like she'd talk to you. She doesn't really talk to anyone else other than you. (09:06 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari bit into his lips, reading through Misaki's messages. He then looked through Masako's and noticed her conversation having talked about the same thing.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Masako)**

 **Masako: Hello. I was wondering if it alright if you can talk to Tomoyo? (09:09 AM)**

 **Masako: Like Misaki said, she isn't opening her door. (09:10 AM)**

 **Masako: If you don't mind, can you please try to talk to her? Thank you in advance. (09:10 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

The detective couldn't help but sigh, scratching his head and turning the device off. He should've realized that Tomoyo wouldn't talk to Masako or Misaki- they were the ones who told her to back off, after all, and they were her closest friends. That obviously would've stung, and Watari wondered if her friends even realized this.

He looked around the area for a moment, then heaving another sigh. He figured he had no choice- he knew he'd be talked down upon if he didn't at least try. With nothing else on his mind either, he decided to head back into the dormitories and zooming straight towards Tomoyo's room.

There, as he walked towards the screenwriter's door, he found Masako and Misaki murmuring to one another. They were obviously worried, their brows furrowed and lips curled down.

Watari waved at the duo, throwing them a playful grin. "Hello~"

"Ari!" Misaki's eyes widened. She immediately grabbed ahold of the detective's hands and pulled him close. "Are you going to talk to her?"

"Well, it's not like I have a choice," he mused, chuckling. "You would've bothered me till I talk to her anyways."

"True, but still." Misaki released her grip on Watari and stepped to the side. "... I feel like she doesn't want to talk to us, so we want to leave things to you."

"S-she's probably mad at us, unfortunately." Masako's face saddened. She then gulped as she followed Misaki, the duo both having took a few steps away. "W-we don't want to bother you and Tomoyo, s-so we wish you luck."

"Just tell us how it goes, alright? We'll head back to Decebel and the others." Misaki threw Watari a small smile, then quickly left with Masako following her tail.

Watari was now left alone. He huffed and scratched his head for a moment, then deciding he had time to spare. He began knocking at the door, tapping his foot on the ground. He waited. Nothing happened.

The detective flipped out his MonoPad and began to type into the device.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Tomoyo)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Masako and Misaki are gone if you want to know. (09:13 AM)]**

The detective waited for a moment before a message popped up. He looked at it curiously before replying.

 **[Tomoyo: Why are you telling me? (09:13 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: Wait, are you the one knocking? (09:14 AM)**

 **Watari: Yeah. (09:14 AM)]**

He waited for another moment. He looked at the device, noticing another message appearing on screen.

 **[Tomoyo: I know they're the ones who told you to talk to me. You didn't have to. (09:16 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: You can leave. (09:16 AM)]**

Watari frowned.

 **[Watari: I came all the way here. Don't tell you you don't want to open the door. (09:17 AM)]**

That seemed to stir a response, for Watari immediately heard the door click and creaking itself opened, if not slightly. He looked over to find Tomoyo giving him a wary look, silent for a long second before saying in a murmur, "You don't have to be here. I can tell you're annoyed."

"Do I look annoyed?" Watari threw the woman a playful smile, but quickly tossed that facade aside and instead pursed his lips. "Well, since you finally unlocked the door, I can talk to you."

"You don't have to," Tomoyo said, immediately shutting the detective down. Watari noticed that her eyes were slightly red. "I'm fine."

The detective sighed. "Well, even if you say that, you do know that your friends won't let this go. You don't exactly look the healthiest right now, mentally."

Tomoyo shook her head. "I'm fine though."

The detective frowned, immediately recognizing the stubbornness in the woman's tone of voice. "Yeah, but you couldn't tell that to Masako and Misaki in the face, now could you."

Tomoyo averted her gaze, face flushed. "... I'm fine though. Please don't worry about it."

"I'm not." Watari raised a brow. "But, everyone else is."

The woman pursed her lips, expression beginning to harden. "I said I'm fine. I'm sure everyone else will understand that it's nothing to worry about."

Watari found himself feeling slightly annoyed. He crossed his arms dryly, nose scrunched. "And if you really were fine, you wouldn't have run off like that."

Tomoyo's eyebrows furrowed and she immediately stepped forward. "I'm fine! It's not like you would understand anyways! I-"

She stopped and threw her hands over her mouth.

"Yeah?" Watari's tone immediately dropped into a dead, almost emotionless voice. "Well, you're right. I don't understand anything."

Tomoyo pursed her lips. "I didn't mean to say that."

"You're supposed to hate me anyways," the detective replied. "If you really hated me, then you shouldn't have talked to me."

"I don't hate you," the woman immediately cried. "I'm just having a bad day right now. Everything's just stacking up on me and I…"

… _Shit. That was mainly my fault._ Watari couldn't help but eye the woman worriedly, and although he knew she was a stubborn person, he just couldn't help himself but say, "Look, nothing's your fault. I'm here for a reason."

Tomoyo shook her head. "That's not right though. Blaming you won't solve anything."

"I know you hold negative feelings about me, so stop lying to yourself." The detective stared at the woman firmly, harsh in his gaze. "You need to be honest and stop trying to care for everyone else around you. There's a reason why I'm the outcast- I'm supposed to be hated on."

"... That's not right." The woman averted her gaze. "Watari, look, I don't hate you, so you need to stop saying that. I'm not going to listen to you."

Watari shook his head. "You need to be honest though. There's a reason why Akio was able to pull back Ayako in- it was because he was honest. You need to do the same thing."

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "Why are you telling me this?"

"... It was my fault," Watari began, slightly red from embarrassment, "I was the one who told you to follow your instinct instead of telling you not to, so… That's my fault."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Watari…"

"... the other times as well. I'm… sorry."

The detective looked at the woman for a moment. He noticed the shock on her face and he quickly began clearing his throat and saying, "Anyways, I still don't trust you and the others with anything, so don't take my word that much."

Tomoyo thought for a moment, then speaking, "Hey, Watari, can I ask you something?"

The detective raised a brow. "Hm? What's wrong?"

"... I'm not sure if this will offend you, but…" Tomoyo awkwardly rubbed her fingers together. "You're actually nicer than you think."

Watari glanced at the woman for a second, then sighing and saying, "I'm not. If your friends didn't tell me to come here, I wouldn't come here."

Tomoyo nodded her head slowly. "... Why don't you trust people though? You always try to be the lone wolf."

"I don't like humanity. They're selfish." The detective frowned. "Why do you need to ask?"

Tomoyo gave him a look of complete disbelief, hesitant to believe him. She said nothing about it however, and instead simply said, "What're you going to do now?"

Watari smirked. "Am I supposed to tell you?"

The screenwriter softly smiled. "I guess not."

 _Well, as long as she doesn't know everything about my plan, I guess it's fine to be more open around her. It won't really hinder anything… definitely not. I will never allow that to happen._

He was continuing to second guess himself and convince himself that nothing was wrong. He continued to believe that he was fine, but it was obvious his own plans from before were beginning to crumble, and he didn't know what to do. Acting friendly, acting useful, acting nice- he wasn't sure exactly on what he was supposed to do. All he knew was to continue looking for clues, and to make sure nobody would figure out what he knows.

The detective chuckled and eyed the woman. "Of course not. Now, you probably should go talk to Masako and Misaki- they're definitely worried about you."

"I know." Tomoyo rolled her eyes, slightly flustered. "I'll go talk to them now."

Watari watched Tomoyo who opened the door and stepped outside. She closed it behind her and gave the detective a nod before leaving.

The raven sighed once she left his sight.

 _Hm, let's see… what should I do now…_ Watari cupped his chin and pondered. _Maybe it's best if I see what everyone's up to… though…_

The detective then recalled what the screenwriter said about Monokuma. He bit into his lips, looking over to where he hid his MonoPad. Unintentionally, his lips pursed themselves.

He thought about what Tomoyo had said about everyone, and then he remembered what Kyatchi and Yume were doing. He recalled back to everything- Wakana's death, Kiyoko's execution, Hitomu and his cats' deaths, Keishi's… He remembered how frustrated Akio was during the trial and how Tomoyo felt obliged to slap him. He remembered how Shinjimae broke down and how Kyatchi had lost the chance to apologize to Hitomu. He remembered everything.

Did he want to see that again? Did he really wanted to see that again? To see people dying because he couldn't do anything? To see people dying because he couldn't pry anything off of Monokuma?

Even if he despised everyone, they were trying. Akio was an advocate for stopping the killing game after Hitomu, and even then people such as Tomoyo and even Decebel were willing to change or do something. Just about everyone seemed to change, and yet what frustrated him was the fact that they were apathetic.

If Yume was the nihilist, then it was strange to think she was more 'normal' than everyone else. The critics were the ones who wanted to save everyone, and the optimists were those who wanted death- there was something wrong in that statement there, and Watari honestly couldn't help but pinpoint everyone to be a killer.

He didn't remember anything about crimes relating to anyone in the game. As a detective, he was knowledgeable on all sorts of crimes and was supposed to know much about people. He knew who Akio was at the start of the killing game, and he knew who Wakana was, who Kiyoko was, who everyone was- and yet, when Monokuma told him they could be murderers, especially Akio, he didn't remember a single thing concerning the topic.

" _If you don't remember, then that's fine. Just take my word for it. Everyone, even you, Watari, are murderers."_

" _... So, not only Aki?"_

" _Aki's the one who seems to hate you the most, so I was saying that you should call him out. It depends on everyone else to hold your word for it and come to the same conclusion I had claimed right now."_

Of course, Monokuma could be lying, but given everyone's behaviors, Watari was inclined to believe him. The detective had seen how people reacted when a loved one died- they grieve, they sob, they mourn. Even the people who witnessed a stranger's death would express trauma, shock, anxiety; just about anything, honestly. This, right here, is not normal.

 _Alright, I need to think more about this._ Watari cupped his hands together and held them close to his chest. He thought to himself about someone dear to him- Tadaomi. After a while of silence, he dropped his hands and steadied himself.

He grabbed ahold of his device and began tapping onto one of the chatrooms. A moment passed before he slowly began to type, clicking on each key before silently pressing the 'Send' button. A moment passed before he heard a sound.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Is there any way you could extend the deadline for the motive? (10:08 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Oh my. Why're you asking? (10:10 AM)]**

Watari knew it could go either way, but he continued and typed.

 **[Watari: Don't you have security cameras or the like to monitor me? I feel like you already know. (10:11 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Pfft, okay, you got me. (10:11 AM)**

 **Monokuma: So, sudden change of heart. Did Shinji influence you? (10:12 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Or was it because you let your guard down? (10:12 AM)**

 **Monokuma: It's sad to see that everyone these days tend to soften around other people. No wonder why I have to do shit myself, you know? (10:13 AM)**

 **Watari: What? (10:13 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Oops! Nothing! (10:13 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, you're a smart boy, we know that. I gave you the deal because I want to mess with the mastermind and I love seeing people try to stop me. (10:15 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Are you telling me you're going to be weak right now, just like what happened with Tadaomi? (10:15 AM)]**

Watari's eyes widened.

 **[Watari: Don't bring that up. (10:16 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Still think it's your fault? It is, so I don't blame you. (10:16 AM)**

 **Monokuma: But honestly speaking, you're getting soft. When I first saw you, you were so cute, y'know? Looking so happy killing people. (10:17 AM)**

 **Watari: I've never killed anyone. (10:17 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Yeah? Everyone's gonna tell me that, so don't worry. (10:17 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, I'm surprised you've grown so soft. Seems like everyone's growing on you. It's a shame. (10:18 AM)**

 **Monokuma: You were a great person though in the past. I'm surprised you managed to do so much in such a short amount of time before you were put in here. (10:20 AM)**

 **Watari: Don't tell me you're going to cut off the deal. (10:21 AM)**

 **Monokuma: People are soft, so I should've expected this. (10:22 AM)**

 **Watari: Monokuma, please. (10:22 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I'm surprised you can beg. (10:22 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Look, how about this? I'll let you in on a little secret before we break up, cutie. (10:23 AM)**

 **Watari: … (10:23 AM)**

 **Monokuma: You meant as much to Kiyoko in the past than you remember it. (10:24 AM)**

 **Monokuma: It's not just her being involved in a case. (10:24 AM)**

 **Watari: What? (10:25 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Heh. Well, that's all I have for you. (10:25 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Time for our goodbyes, cutie. (10:25 AM)**

 **Monokuma: I'll see you soon, whether you're dead or alive. Bye~ (10:26 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari was silent, staring blankly at the screen. He had done nothing for a few minutes now, simply silent and completely blank in his gaze. It felt like hours before he even registered his own breathing, but once he did he immediately found himself pale and cold.

 _I failed._

He felt the device dropping from his hands.

 _No, no, you didn't fail. You didn't fail at all. If you keep working-_

 _Work? What's work?_

… _Tadaomi…_

… _I want Tadaomi._

Watari threw his head back and released a loud sigh. He forced himself to steady as he slowly curled his lips to a smirk. He was silent, only hearing his heartbeat resonating in his ears and feeling the slight chill of the air against the back of his neck. He was silent, and slowly he bent down to grab his MonoPad and shove it into his pockets.

 _Fuck._ Watari bit into his lips and grimaced. _What should I do now? Should I tell everyone? Monokuma might tell everyone for me though, but if I don't say anything and he doesn't tell them, there's a chance they would still believe I'm working under him._

Watari slapped his cheeks and sighed. … _I'm a mess. I need to take a breather before thinking about things again._

The detective looked around the area, then deciding to walk outside the dormitories. His immediate attention was caught to the outside, and so he immediately walked out to feel the sunlight against his skin. The air was slightly chilly and it soothed his body. He allowed himself to smile at this and relax for a bit.

"Oh, Watari."

The detective turned around to find Akio and Ayako. The duo seemed to have just gotten out, evident by the lack of grass on their shoes and sweat on their faces.

"What're you doing out here?" Akio asked, curious as he walked towards the detective.

"Ah, nothing." Watari looked at the duo. He saw how the lolita fashion model was looking around the grass with slight unease- she wasn't much of a person who liked the dirt, he supposed. "What're you two doing here?"

"Oh, we're just going to swim." Akio grinned. "Just relax a bit, y'know?"

"Uhuh." Watari eyed the duo silently before crossing his arms. "Do you know what everyone else are doing?"

"Yeah. We just separated a while ago." The actor bit into his lips. "Tomoyo apologized to us, and she's with Misaki and Masako right now. Shinji said something about washing Saki, Decebel's working on cleaning the school- haha, typical guy, and I think Kyatchi headed out with Yume for something… Not sure."

The detective curiously raised a brow. "That's interesting to know."

"Yup, it is." Akio chuckled. "Seems like everyone wants to get along or something."

Watari eyed Ayako who clutched onto Akio's sleeve, then averting his gaze. He thought for a moment before slowly stepping to the side. "Yeah, guess I'll head back inside. Is Decebel cleaning the dishes, or are they going around the school?"

Akio frowned slightly. "They should still be inside the kitchen. They do like to make everything squeaky clean."

"Mhm, alright."

Watari quickly waved at the duo before heading back inside of the building, having forgotten why he went outside to begin with. The detective looked around the area for a moment, making sure Decebel wasn't actually cleaning the school. Convinced that the butler wasn't, he went straight into the cafeteria and into the kitchen.

Heading inside, the detective found the butler who was cleaning up the dishes, calm in their expression. They were, however, entirely focused, and it seemed like they hadn't noticed the detective yet.

Watari even wondered if the butler would entertain him with his input, but, deciding he had nothing to lose, he walked forward and clapped his hands together. "Hello~!"

"Oh." That calm and soothing voice immediately pointed to Blanchard. "Do you need something, Master Watari?"

"If I didn't, I wouldn't be here." The detective smirked. "I want to ask you something, dear."

"Yes, of course." Blanchard smiled softly. "What is the matter?"

Watari crossed his arms and began, saying, "Before Tomoyo, Shinji, and I came here, you guys decided on not speaking about the killing game and motive, correct?"

Blanchard nodded slowly. "That's correct. Master Blaise was the one who thought of it after everyone was uneasy because of… hm, some ghost or something."

 _And that he means Ayako._ Watari chuckled. "But, I do have to ask this then, sweetie- have you all decided that you're going to either kill your target or stop Monokuma?"

Blanchard hesitated. "Well…"

"I'll answer it, Blanche." Viorel quickly came to be and cleared his throat. "We all decided to not tell anyone about our plans as a group, and, well, I think it's obvious it's either we all accepted death, or we're waiting for someone to step up and murder their target."

The detective frowned. "That's stupid."

"Well, it's what everyone wants." The butler shrugged. "I do not hold the luxury to lead the group. I only abide by what the majority desires. It's the same with Blanche."

Watari would argue about emotions and death, but considering what Viorel and Blanchard would like, he knew he wouldn't earn the reaction he desired. So, he simply sighed and threw his hands to the back of his head, saying, "Do you think someone will murder then?"

"I am unsure of that." Viorel frowned. "I wouldn't know unless someone tells me and Blanche. Nonetheless, it's possible. People tend to snap when the ball drops, you know?"

"True," the detective mused. "You have a point, dear."

Viorel shrugged and switched to Blanchard. "Well, if you'll excuse me, Master Watari, I should go back to cleaning."

Watari nodded. "Yeah, that's fine with me."

"Thank you."

And with that settled, the butler began to focus their gaze back to the sink and dishes in view. Watari watched the butler for a moment, then sighing and heading outside. A sigh escaped his lips as he stretched his arms, the doors to the cafeteria closing behind him.

 _Let's see… I should go to the library and look again._ Watari frowned and began to walk to the room. _Even if I'm not working with Monokuma anymore, I can still take what he told me and use it against him._

He bit into his lips as he stepped into the room. He scanned around the room before beginning to look for anything new. As he looked through the shelves, he couldn't help but think about what Monokuma had last told him- that his relationship to Kiyoko was closer than he had initially expected.

The detective held his breath. He knew his relationship to Kiyoko was something more than mere acquaintances- she was someone he highly admired, and she became a friend to him after he solved a case. It was nothing more than that, he remembered, and he remembered nothing else other than mere coincidental events that led to a friendship.

He didn't remember anything else about her. He did not remember anything, and he wasn't sure if Monokuma was lying to him, or if Monokuma was telling the truth and his memories of even Kiyoko were erased.

It shouldn't bother him, but it did. It did, and he felt betrayed for some reason. He shouldn't feel betrayed, but he felt it and it tugged at his heartstrings.

He quickly shook his head and grabbed ahold of a few novels and documents he hadn't seen yet. He looked at it for a moment, noting its colorful binding and bolded, cursive-looking letters. It was quite exquisite, or so were the ones he had grabbed.

Watari sighed as he decided to look at the titles of the books and documents he grabbed. The first he grabbed was one that said, "Songs of Innocence" by William Blake. Surprisingly, to Watari, he felt like he learned this during his time in middle school. He even remembered about the poem called "The Lamb," and god it was such a childish poem.

 _Then again, I was a bit of a haughty brat whenever I was supposed to learn something._ Nonetheless, Watari quickly shoved that thought aside and looked at the other titles.

They were simply titles that Watari assumed were generic and overused, but nonetheless he was curious about what the books' plot were about. The documents on his hand, however, did discuss about Sigmund Freud's dream interpretations, even the Electra and Oedipus Complexes; and he seemed to see something about the Age of Imperialism, well, new imperialism which peaked from the late 1800s to early 1900s. He wondered if they were even of worth to him- he learned all of this from history and literature classes.

… _Well, it's too much work if I put them back._

The detective held the books and documents in his hands, and quickly set them aside to walk over to a seat. He sat down, and there he began reading.

Nothing seemed to be of interest, and soon Watari found that time was passing. Hours were passing, and soon Watari realized that it was close to dinnertime- though, mainly, that was because of the butler who walked into the room and told Watari to eat. The detective jumped down, stretched, and made his way over to the dinner table where everyone were.

He sat down next to Shinjimae, and he threw the animal whisperer and his dog a small smile before grabbing ahold of his food. He sneakily took out his MonoPad and checked the time. The screen brightened, and he frowned.

 _It's about six now, and we have about six more hours till midnight hits… Hmm…_ With that in mind, he looked over to the group and observed each person silently.

Everyone looked the same, though slightly either tired, sleepy, or anxious. It wasn't much to go by however, Watari simply noting how Misaki and Masako were treating Tomoyo kindly. He noticed that Kyatchi and Yume were the same, and it did seem like everyone else was- well, if not, then they sure looked mainly fine.

Watari bit into his food and blocked out everything everyone was saying. He rather escape the feigned act of optimism everyone had thrown up, simply biting into his food, occasionally giving Shinjimae a few nods here and there, and then stood up to bring his plate away. He didn't bother to talk to anyone- they seemed busy with themselves and their friends anyways, and so he left the area without much of a struggle.

The detective walked into his room, and without much of a need to do anything, he decided it was best to close his eyes for a moment.

He did believe that Kyatchi might do something, and he somehow expected him to commit an act or whatnot by midnight. If not him, then somebody else. He was confident, possibly, that something would happen, and so he wanted to rest a bit.

Honestly speaking, however, Watari was unsure of what to think about Kyatchi. The juggler was a death seeker and Watari was sure Kyatchi would be happy if he was killed. If push comes to shove, maybe Kyatchi might murder his target just to save everyone else, as strange as it sounded- he cared more than people realized, and that slightly disturbed the detective.

 _It's not like I'll cry if he dies though. He wants to die…_

He stared blankly at the ceiling, and slightly pursed his lips.

 _But maybe they can come up with a way to either change the motive or lengthen the time?_

That optimistic thought quickly erased itself from existence, and he sighed. Slowly, he closed his eyes.

* * *

Watari woke up to hear someone knocking at the door. That knocking was calm and relaxed, and once the detective perked his head up, he hopped down and walked over to open the door. He couldn't help but let out a soft yawn and rub his eyes as he creaked the door open. "Hello?"

It was Tomoyo. The woman was eyeing the detective with a slightly tense, slightly worried look. Her mouth was slightly opened, and it took a moment before she said, "Uh… Blaise and the others want us to go outside."

Watari raised a brow. "Um, why?"

The screenwriter averted her gaze. "They said it was about the motive… er, waiting for death and… Did you check the chatroom?"

"The chatroom?"

Tomoyo gave him a nod, and the detective quickly reached into his MonoPad and opened it up. There, he immediately found himself eyeing the chatroom and its chaotic state. All he could think of right now was the following- _What the fuck?_

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Misaki: Should we go outside and hang out? (11:09 PM)**

 **Akio: I don't mind! Why are you asking? (11:12 PM)**

 **Masako: I know you don't want to hear this, but we have less than an hour. (11:13 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: F in the chatroom guys! (11:13 PM)**

 **Yume: No. (11:13 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: D: (11:14 PM)**

 **Misaki: Let's all meet outside! Hang out, hang out. (11:15 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Sure, I guess! (11:15 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee (11:16 PM)**

 **Akio: Okay, what the fuck. (11:16 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Fucking beginning of the end. Yay. (11:16 PM)**

 **Yume: f (11:18 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Holy shit. (11:20 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Finally. (11:20 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari frowned as he shoved the device into his pocket and looked back to the screenwriter. He noticed the worry in her face as he bit into his lips and asked, "Are they planning to hold hands and wait for death or something?"

Tomoyo grimaced at this, but she couldn't deny what he said. "I seriously do not understand them. I… I just don't."

"Ahh, fuck." Watari scratched his head and stepped outside. He closed the door behind him. "Is everyone already there?"

"I'm not sure." Tomoyo averted her gaze. "I'm worried."

 _Shit. Maybe Kyatchi's waiting for someone to kill him. He might end up killing someone at this rate. I need to see what happens._ Watari looked over to the woman and urged her to move. She eyed him in shock before quickly nodding her head, leading the detective down the hallways and straight outside where the moonlight shone down on the Ultimates.

"Oh, there you are!" Akio looked over to the duo with a warm smile. That smile of his immediately dropped as he walked towards them. "Have you seen Ayako or Decebel yet?"

"What?" Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Why? They're not here yet?"

The actor shook his head. "No, I tried messaging them, but they're not here."

"Oh, great." Kyatchi immediately whipped his head to the actor and frowned. His expression was that of complete bemusement. "Don't tell me they're planning some shit again."

"E-excuse me, b-but wasn't Decebel the one who ignored Ayako?" Masako raised her hand timidly to catch the juggler's eye. "I-I don't see why they would suddenly confront her."

"They ignored her, but that doesn't mean they'd flatout not think of her as nothing." Yume raised a brow as she eyed the survivalist. "Didn't they see her as a pest?"

"Ah." Masako's face flushed. "T-that's…"

Shinjimae gulped as he held onto Saki tightly and looked at Kyatchi. "Erm, s-shouldn't we go look for them?"

Kyatchi eyed the animal whisperer for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure, I don't really care. They can go fuck themselves for all I care."

Misaki threw the juggler a shocked look. "K-Kyatchi!"

The juggler definitely looked annoyed, and Watari wasn't sure whether to pinpoint that as worry or extreme distaste. If anything, it could've been a mixture of both.

"We should go look…" Akio turned to the group and quickly cleared his throat. "Hey, let's look for Ayako and Decebel!"

Tomoyo gulped as she looked over to Masako and Misaki. They threw her worried looks themselves, and soon everyone began to split up into pairs, if not alone, to look for the lolita fashion model and butler.

"W-Watari…" Shinjimae stayed close to the detective and Saki. "D-do you think, erm, they're fine…?"

The detective looked at the animal whisperer for a moment, and he couldn't help but remember that he was supposed to learn lessons from the taller man. He bit into his lips, and he couldn't help but feel bad.

Nonetheless, Watari threw the animal whisperer a look of hesitation, but he forced a confident smirk. "Well, we'll see."

The detective led Shinjimae and Saki around, their search for Ayako and Decebel beginning and continuing as time passed.

Time passed by. Time continued to pass by, and the clock was ticking. Time was ticking down, and Watari found himself sweaty and breathless as he looked around the area. He looked inside of the warehouse and around the corners of the barricade for the outside view. He tried to look around for any sign of life, any sign of the butler or the fashion model, but he found nothing and quickly led Shinjimae and Saki further along the paved road.

Saki barked, and lunged forward. She quickly pointed her nose forward and ran, charged into the paved road and led the two Ultimates away.

The building to the swimming pool and hot springs. The doors were already opened. Saki barked louder and charged inside. Watari and Shinjimae threw each other a look and ran inside.

Watari ran through the entrance and found himself stepping on something- flower petals? Flower petals. Purple and white flower petals which trailed off, making a trail straight from the entrance and into the hot springs.

The detective gulped. Saki and Shinjimae ran forward, and Watari forced himself to steady as he followed.

One, two, step.

He felt the humidity inside of the room, and he felt the warm mist touching his face. He felt sweatdrops forming on his forehead as he stepped inside- that, however, he couldn't completely stepped inside, for Shinjimae and Saki had stopped immediately upon one step in.

Watari found the whole world turning white as he stared blankly at the two bodies in front of him, right through Shinjimae and Saki who fell and cuddled to each other, close in comfort.

What he saw, right in front of his eyes, were Ayako and Decebel- their nonliving, nonliving bodies.

Ayako and Decebel were in the hot springs, bathed in it with their floating, floating bodies. Ayako's hair was wet and soaked, covering part of her face and the water as she float lifeless in her swimsuit. Her face was that of pure horror, her neck mangled and bent to make her head twist to the side. Her legs and arms were spread out, almost as if she was the main star underneath the moonlight. It shone down on her supposedly pretty, natural face. The makeup she wore was completely and utterly washed off. It was, instead, filled with a sickly white deathly color. What was noticed other than her horrible position, however, was the taser that was wrapped around her fingers to the left. It was obvious she had also been electrocuted, for her body was not only a deathly white, but burnt with red and pink.

The same can be said for Decebel, but it was a miracle their neck wasn't mangled up and bent, nonetheless their expression slightly calm and shocked at the same time. They were in a better state than Ayako, and that was for certain- they were floating up, though slightly because of their enormous height and their actual outfit having been soaked, but they were only burnt with red and pink. They must've been electrocuted as well, and that would have to be because of-

-the taser.

Silence.

Or so Watari assumed it was silence. It might've been because of the shock that he's been forced into, but nonetheless-

-the body announcement sounded, and suddenly the detective realized that everyone ran into the scene.

* * *

... And that is the end of the chapter! I will post the poll up, well, probably when I release the investigation chapter. Anyways, other than that, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, whether in one way or another! Now, I can enjoy my spring break, mwahahahaha.

Plug times as always!

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** by RioA (which is me, wink wink)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants of My Heart** by Prince PokePersona

 **Fogbound Castaways** by Sharkeye

 **Danganronpa: Final Flight** by Shirasaur

Like always, that's all I have to say for now! I'll see you all in the future!


	26. Chapter 3 - Part 2, Part A

Hello, and I am finally here with the investigation! I'm sorry it took a while to write this, since finals are coming up and the like. Anyways, as always, not much to say, so please do enjoy this!

 **Glass-Lady-of-the-Opera:** "Ayako is very pretty, haha. Nah, we'll learn sooner or later, maybe, wink wink. There's a lot of things needing to be revealed, after all. Ooh, interesting theory! Thanks so much!"

Meta King: "That would be beautiful, so let's do it."

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Yes, the wretched chapter three case! Please save me. Yes, glad you like the dynamic! It is quite strange, isn't it? Watari's a mood. He's a good detective, totally. Beautiful, we must make everyone important, and then not understand why, yes. Tomoyo's a sweetheart, honestly. Yay, glad you like Kyatchi and his relationship with Yume so far! Poor victims. Haha, spoiling means I'll ban you into the void. Yes, thanks!"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Tadaomi is Tadaomi, Roseycheeks. Watari admires Tadaomi, yes. I cry everyday, yes. Thanks so much!"

 **ToonGuy:** "Hey there! Death sucks, oof. Aww, yes! Thanks so much!"

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Prince PokePersona!**

* * *

Everyone had ran into the scene, but Watari couldn't care less. The sole concern at the moment was the fact that not one person had died, but two.

What made this even more of a concern, after all, was the sole purpose of the motive and its contents. It made Watari think- _does this mean that someone killed two people and the purpose of the motive is negated? Does this mean two people killed their targets and both of them can get out free? Does this mean a trial will start or not?_

Nonetheless, Watari couldn't think of any answers. All he could see were the corpses ahead of him, and the Ultimates around him in shock and bafflement.

"What the fuck is this?!" Akio's face was entirely pale. He was baffled beyond comprehension, body trembling and face sweating. "W-why are they…?"

"Two people died…" Yume bit harshly into her bottom lip, overwhelmed in disgust. "This is crazy."

"Two people died, huh." Kyatchi smirked, though it was out of anxiety more than anything. "Fuck… what's going to happen now then?"

Tomoyo was silent, averting her gaze with her face pale. She was in-between a world of both grief and disappointment, and slight frustration towards everyone around her. She held herself closely, palms closed together.

"Hey, hey, keep yourselves away from the scene! Report, report! Keep yourselves back!"

Watari and the others looked back to find Monokuma, wearing protective gear and shooing everybody away. The bear urged everyone back as he walked inside the area, easily making his way towards Ayako and Decebel's bodies. He looked at them for a moment, then smirking. He brought his protective gloved paw over to Ayako's hand, reaching for the taser. He was able to take it out with ease and easily threw inside of his backpack from behind. He turned back to the group. "Alright!"

"Uh…" Masako gulped. "I-is it safe to even investigate or…?"

Misaki shook her head. "Wait a second though. What's going to happen? Since two people died, does that mean two people leave, or…?"

"Y-yeah, that's right!" Shinjimae was trembling, still holding tightly to Saki. "A-are we even g-going to do a… erm, a-a class trial?"

Monokuma looked at the group for a moment, then grinning. "Good questions. Don't worry, Papa Bear here will tell you everything."

Everyone was silent.

"So… since they didn't kill their target or targets, it's a class trial!" Monokuma threw his paws out excitedly. "Woo! Even though this could've been way more easier if someone just killed their target and accepted the death glares people would throw at them, but this is fine too! I'm not the one with a loss here… maybe a loss for time of sleeping and partying, but listening to a class trial is always fun."

Kyatchi groaned and threw his hands over his back. "Well, shit. Guess we're going to do this shit again, huh?"

Yume raised a brow to the juggler. "Do you even care?"

"You already know the answer," the juggler mused, winking at Yume who instantly grimaced at his motion.

"So, we have to participate in a class trial…" Akio bit into his lips, cupping his chin. "Goddamnit."

Yume frowned. "I'm surprised the killer didn't kill their target."

Monokuma laughed, amused at everyone's discretion. "Well, reality's just cruel like that. It's sad, really. Murderers tend to be stupid sometimes, fucking idiots."

"Well, you're the one who's making people kill," the actor retorted. "How about you don't make people kill?"

The bear thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Nah, I'm good."

Yume groaned. "Seriously?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you all something- er, almost forgot, that is." The bear scratched his head, almost as if he was embarrassed himself (which was an anomaly). "You know how your truth bullets and MonoPads work, right?"

Shinjimae looked worriedly at Saki. "Y-yeah…"

"You tell us how many truth bullets we have and then told us we all have the same clues in our files." Tomoyo crossed her arms. "Are you changing things?"

Monokuma nodded. "Yup, what Moe said. I kinda figured certain people knew certain things, and the killer is put at a high disadvantage because of my mechanic. I strive for balance, and some good entertainment between us all, so I'm going to drop that mechanic."

"Wait, what?" Yume blinked. "Are you serious?"

"It's honestly not fair as well to the people who actually try, y'know?" the bear continued, ignoring the confusion on everyone's faces. "People who try will get all the evidence, and the people who don't won't. As someone who works hard planning this whole killing game out, unlike somebody else- fucking idiot- I don't want to see a mirror of those who don't try having everything handed to them on a silver platter."

"But you're obviously putting the killer on an advantage then," Akio said, countering the overseer. His eyebrows were furrowed, nose wrinkled in dismay. "You're just doing this to make the killer more able to escape the trial execution-free."

"Aki, you're so blind." Monokuma smirked, retorting the actor. "What I want is a fair trial between both the killer and the participants. Sure, it's fun to see you all struggle, surely, but rather than it only being about death and shit, I do highly respect those who try hard and it's only fair to reward those who work hard."

Misaki shook her head. "Is it really fair for you to just change the rules like that?"

The bear laughed. "Rule six- er, now ten; have you actually read it?"

The surgeon's eyes widened, and Tomoyo stepped forward to answer. "It's about the additional rules, right?"

"Yeah, and the previous rules never mentioned anything about a 'right' way to handle truth bullets." Monokuma smirked. It was obvious everyone had been struck by this revelation. "I never mentioned anything about that, right?"

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "You never mentioned how a class trial worked either in detail… especially how the executions work."

"Killing games are new to me." Monokuma shrugged. "Can't blame me for being a newbie. Besides, these types of games are pretty unorthodox, even in history. Genocides are quite common in comparison to this type of thing."

Watari immediately frowned and cupped his chin. _New?_

"N-no." Masako shook her head. "T-that's so horrible of a thing to say."

"Anyways, since I'm the one in charge of everything, I can change what I want according to the sixth rule." Monokuma looked over at the group. "What?"

Akio crossed his arms, staring down on the bear. "You really should just establish everything you have here and now then. You're going to abuse it if not then."

"Hmm, do you really want me to?" Monokuma snickered, mischief apparent on his eyes. "I'll add in everything, but I can still keep the sixth rule in check."

"Yeah, do it." Kyatchi smirked. "You can't erase rules after all, right? You can only add."

The overseer laughed. "Ha! You're quite perceptive. I like that, but how are you so sure I won't just add a rule that can grant me this power?"

Kyatchi frowned. "You're not that abusive, right?"

"Nope, not really. I'd be too much of a tyrant this way and cause you all to actually try to take my head." Monokuma laughed for another moment, then clapped his hands together excitedly. "Alright then, I'll go add the rules!"

And within seconds, everyone's MonoPad began to vibrate and ring. Watari quickly grabbed ahold of his own device, and checked what was on the screen. As promised, Monokuma added another set of rules after the tenth (now twelfth) one.

 **[Rule 11: Truth bullets will be added depending on how each individual handles the investigation. Those who try hard and are perceptive will have much more truth bullets than those who didn't. Please take notice that some Ultimates know things other do not that are crucial to the case.**

 **Rule 12: Additional rules will be added when necessary.]**

Watari observed the rule and frowned. His mind immediately went on how the trial may work- and the chaos that might ensue from the different amount and types of evidence each individual will have. _Hm… this will be interesting then._

"This looks like shit," Kyatchi murmured underneath his breath.

The detective rolled his eyes at the juggler's murmur, and he looked over to Monokuma. The bear noticed his gaze, but simply looked away to eye the group collectively as a whole. Watari frowned.

Monokuma rubbed his paws together and grinned, per usual. "Anyways, I won't take up your guys' time any longer. I want you all to have fun investigating, my little Ultimates. Take care~! Oh, and don't worry about being electrocuted and shit! I made sure you guys are safe to roam here. I don't want to be the murderer to one of you kids and make myself get executed, ouch. Anyways, bye~!"

And without a second to waste, Monokuma somehow disappeared from thin air like he always did.

Watari stayed silent. Ignoring that fact that Monokuma seemed to have completely ignored him (not even bothering to spare him a cold stare to mock him for earlier), the detective wasn't exactly sure how long it would take till everybody would forget about Ayako and Decebel. Sure, they weren't the best people to hang around, but they were still humans.

Selfish as humans were, Watari knew people at least tried to portray genuinity towards those who suffered.

Then again, he figured, maybe everyone was focused and fixated on the additional eleventh rule. It was a rule that would hinder the group, sure, but it shouldn't matter in Watari's head- everyone just had to grind and work hard.

"... We have to investigate."

Watari looked over to Akio, the actor immediately assuming leadership with his MonoPad being shoved back into his pocket. The detective eyed him curiously as Akio coughed and stepped forward, making his way over to Ayako and Decebel's bodies.

"Huh? Hey, w-wait a second!" Masako flinched as she reached a shaky hand out. "W-what if you get electrocuted-"

Akio placed a hand into the water- nothing. He threw the group a small smile before frowning again, focusing his attention to Misaki. "Can you help me inspect the bodies?"

"B-Blaise…" The woman stared at him for a while, unsure of what else to say. She eventually nodded her head, shoved her MonoPad into her pocket, and ran over; she was bending down to the side with the actor. From there, she began to inspect the bodies.

Watari observed Akio and Misaki for a moment, then frowning. He had no choice but to investigate himself- if the murders happened and no one had a free ticket away from a trial, then they still had to investigate. They had to try hard, after all, everything was dependent on them and their hard work.

He clutched into his MonoPad more tightly and swiped his finger about, bringing himself away from the rules and over to where the truth bullets were. There, he saw not one, but two case files in store for him. He pursed his lips and began to inspect each one.

* * *

 **Case File #003**

 **Summary:** Ayako Aoki, the Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model, died inside of the hot springs. She suffered from a fatal injury to her neck and was also electrocuted, noticeable from her burnt skin. She had been holding onto a taser with her left hand.

* * *

 **Case File #004**

 **Summary:** Decebel, the Ultimate Butler, died inside of the hot springs. They were electrocuted to death, evident by their burnt skin as well.

* * *

Watari frowned as he read the descriptions. Something was obviously wrong, and he knew exactly what it was- "The time of their deaths."

"You noticed it too, huh." Tomoyo walked over to the detective, lips pursed. She frowned as she held her MonoPad tightly. "I guess Monokuma didn't report the time of deaths because of rigor mortis."

"True." The detective sighed. _Temperature and water do seem to have an effect on people's bodies during rigor mortis, after all…_

Tomoyo immediately walked over to Misaki. Although she looked uneasy moving close to Ayako and Decebel's bodies, she forced herself nonetheless to ask, "Uh, I don't mean to intrude, but have you made any educated guesses yet on them?"

"The bodies? Yeah, hm…" Misaki's eyebrows burrowed as she inspected the corpses. As Akio searched through the bodies with his hands, Misaki took a careful look at the two bodies before nodding to herself. She cleared her throat. "Ahem, well, I'm not exactly a mortician or inspector, but given my knowledge I think Decebel died first. It's a bit hard to deduce this though since Ayako seemed to have the taser in her hand though and had her neck bent."

"Oh." Akio poked his head over to the surgeon. "So their time of deaths were really close."

"Yes, that's what I'm getting too." Misaki crossed her arms and frowned. "I'll need a second opinion on this, but I think they died around half an hour from midnight. Since this room is more humid than regular room temperature, their bodies go through rigor mortis at a quicker pace. Rigor mortis can happen in hot temperatures in under an hour, surprisingly."

Tomoyo slowly nodded her head. "I see… So Decebel died first?"

"I think so." Misaki bit into her lips. She looked over to Masako who noticed her eyes. The surgeon quickly called the woman over and gestured her to the bodies, specifically Ayako's. "Masa, does it look like Ayako was electrocuted first, or died from the neck injury?"

Masako gulped, hands sweaty. She slowly kneeled down and moved a step into the hot springs, trying to get a closer look at Ayako's poor body. She inspected it for a few seconds or so, long seconds, then slowly opened her mouth and said, "I-I do want to say that I'm not an expert, just a survivalist, but… Both situations look like they happened really closely to one another, I-I assume. I would think that she electrocuted Decebel s-since that's how they died…"

The screenwriter shook her head. "Wait, but then why would Ayako's neck be strangled like that?"

"Hm…" Akio cupped his chin. "Considering everything, maybe something happened which caused her neck to end up like that? Maybe the killer did it to mess with us."

Tomoyo frowned, but she herself couldn't come up with an answer- at least, an answer that would make sense. "I don't think so…"

Watari shrugged. "Well, nonetheless, an input is an input. We'll keep it noted, Misa."

Misaki winked at the detective. "No problems! You should thank Masa too."

Masako shook her head, laughing sheepishly. "I-I'm not an expert, so please don't fully trust in what I say…"

* * *

 **Misaki's Autopsy Report**

 **Summary:** Misaki reported that Decebel and Ayako died at an estimated time around 11:30 PM. She believed that Decebel had died first and that Ayako's cause of death came from the electrocution; Masako does believe this simply because Decebel had been electrocuted and Ayako held the taser in her hand beforehand.

* * *

 _Which still wouldn't explain much._ Watari knew the autopsy report was decently trustworthy at best, but without anything else to go by- he couldn't really say much on the matter. All he had to do was search, and investigate.

Watari thought for a moment, then eyeing the bodies of Ayako and Decebel. One thing he noticed, first of all, was that Ayako was wearing her swimsuit, Decebel wasn't. Although Watari could be lenient and believe it was merely because Decebel was confident in keeping their clothes on for a murder case without it being soaked or bloody, he did have to wonder if it was suspicious. Still, it was important, hopefully.

* * *

 **Clothing**

 **Summary:** While Ayako had her swimsuit on, Decebel hadn't.

* * *

Watari also had to mention the taser in Ayako's hand (or, the taser which was in her hand previously). Although Watari was sure the taser didn't hold anything suspicious, he was peeved that Monokuma left with the murder weapon. He glanced over at Ayako's hand and noticed its grip. _Hm…_

* * *

 **Ayako's Left Hand**

 **Summary:** The taser was held in Ayako's hand. It seemed like she had gripped it fairly loosely, though from what was last seen her fingers were able to loop around the taser quite well.

* * *

The detective bit into his lips. He took notice of Ayako's state, then compared it to Decebel's- their state were much more calmer, more serene. They definitely had it way less worse than the poor woman.

Other than that, there seemed to be nothing of notice to Decebel's state. Watari had to make sure, so he walked over to Akio. "Hey there~"

"Hey." Akio threw Watari a small nod, acknowledging his presence. "Are you checking their bodies?"

"Yeah, though I'm sure Misa has that covered." Watari snickered. "Anyways, how about you? Anything special to note?"

Akio shook his head, lips slightly pursed. "Nothing really. I'm thinking of some theories on who could've done this."

Watari was about to speak, but he heard his MonoPad buzzing and he quickly checked it to find a truth bullet added to the list. He frowned.

* * *

 **Motive**

 **Summary:** You cannot reveal your targets to each other.

* * *

 _It just had to be when I was going to mention it. Hmph._ Watari smirked dryly at this, then glanced over to Akio. "Did you get it too?"

"Yeah." Akio grimaced. "This is going to make things harder then…"

 _Hm, seems like certain truth bullets will be collected together within everyone. I should've known considering how the case files are handled._

"Mhm. Of course it will," Watari sighed. He then looked at the actor for a moment, then frowning and folding his arms. "Well, since we're here, how about we talk about your testimony for a bit, dear. Given what Misa said and what happened throughout the day, I want to know your testimony and alibis."

"Right, true." The actor stood up from his spot. His pants were slightly wet from him bending to the hot springs, noticeable from how soaking wet half of his pants were. Watari couldn't help but wonder why Akio didn't at least try to fold them up, or even take off his shoes and socks for that matter- then again, Misaki and Masako did the same. "Well… I admit I don't have the most photogenic memory around the block, but I only remember you and Tomoyo being missing when we were supposed to meet around eleven, excluding Decebel and Ayako. We did split up to search for them though."

Watari nodded his head slowly, chin cupped. "I don't think we separated before 11:30 though."

"True." Akio thought for a moment. "Hm… But other than that, I had split up with Kyatchi. We went to the warehouse first and spent some time looking before we ended up here…"

Watari held his breath. He listened to everything the actor said, and he thought to himself silently. _Well… even if we had separated before 11:30, is it enough for them to die? Then again, considering rigor mortis and how death does work… Some things are quite extraordinary._

"Oh, right!" Akio's eyes widened. He quickly grabbed ahold of his MonoPad and began swiping his finger. "I had messaged Ayako and Decebel about them being missing. I'll show you if it's of importance."

Watari nodded, grabbing ahold of the brunette's MonoPad. He observed the two separate conversations from Ayako and Decebel, though of course it was one-sided at best.

 **[Chatroom: (Akio/Ayako)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Akio: Ayako, hey. (11:12 PM)**

 **Akio: We're already here. Are you coming here with Decebel? (11:12 PM)**

 **Akio: Hello? (11:20 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here…)]**

 **[Chatroom: (Akio/Decebel)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Akio: Hello! (11:35 PM)**

 **Akio: Ayako's not responding, and you're not here yet either (11:35 PM)**

 **Akio: Where are you guys? (11:37 PM)**

 **Akio: (Type here…)]**

Akio awkwardly scratched his head as Watari looked at him. He slowly reached for his MonoPad and held it close to him. "Yeah… they never responded, sadly. They must've been busy… dead…"

Watari nodded his head slowly, thinking. _Hm, what Aki gave me might be something to note… Hmm…_

* * *

 **Akio's Conversations**

 **Summary:** Akio had shown Watari his conversations with Ayako and Decebel. Their conversations will be seen through these two screenshots: [Ayako] [Decebel]

* * *

The detective looked at his MonoPad before nodding to himself. He placed it back into his pocket and looked around, looking back to Misaki who was talking to Tomoyo and Masako, unsurprisingly. They do seem to be more serious in their interactions though, tensed and anxious. It was to be expected.

He made his way over to the trio and waved over to them. "Hello, my dears. Is it alright if I ask you about your testimonies and alibis?"

"Oh, Ari!" Misaki smiled widely at the detective. "Of course you can hear about it. You don't need to ask us."

Watari snickered. "I'm just being courteous, dear."

"You're just a sweet one, Ari," Misaki mused. She then frowned and crossed her arms. "Testimonies, huh? I did come to the meeting with Masako and Tomoyo around eleven, maybe a few minutes after that maybe. Tomoyo left after noticing you were gone, so Masako and I just hung around till we saw you two back. I didn't see Decebel and Ayako at all though."

Masako shyly nodded her head. "Y-yes, she's right. W-we were one of the first people there, and I did see K-Kyatchi coming in next with Yume."

Watari frowned. "So, you know the order they came in?"

The survivalist tilted her head, hands cupped and rubbing one another. "I-I think so. It would have to be us three, Kyatchi and Yume, Shinji, Blaise, then you. A-Ayako and Decebel never came."

Tomoyo pursed her lips as she eyed the detective. "I think I came to look for you after Shinji started coming in. It's been around five or so minutes."

"Hm… I see." The detective thought to himself for a moment, folding his arms. "Well, then did you guys notice anything suspicious before this entire event spiraled?"

"Suspicious? Hm…" Misaki thought for a moment, then eyes widening. She quickly forced a small laugh as she said rather sheepishly, "Well, it's nothing that serious, but Kyatchi had kept asking everyone in the group for a while if they can plan a murder or something… Basically kill him."

"Really?" Watari couldn't help but blink twice, shocked. "Hm, since you did say it was a small thing, then he hadn't dragged on the idea for long."

"Not really." The surgeon frowned. "He only mentioned it once or twice. It wasn't that big to me, honestly. He always mentions these types of things anyways."

 _So they thought nothing of it. Hm, certain behaviors can cause people to not suspect a thing, after all._ Watari nodded his head slowly, arms folded. "Well, I guess I should ask him then. I'm assuming you three are quite suspicious of him then."

Masako shook her head quickly. "I-I don't want to be, but… like what Misaki said, I did think nothing of it until s-she just brought it up to you now. H-hopefully it's nothing suspicious."

The detective thought for a moment, then slowly looking over to the group collectively and asking in a slightly softer voice, "Have you noticed anything suspicious about Kyatchi then?"

Misaki's eyes widened. "Er… not really?"

"I haven't." Tomoyo frowned. "Why are you asking?"

 _Perceptive, huh._ Watari threw on a playful smile and winked at the screenwriter. "Nothing. Just needed to ask, Moe."

Tomoyo was displeased by this, but said nothing and simply nodded.

 _Unless they're lying, then I'm the only one who knew about what Kyatchi and Yume were doing… well, I haven't asked about Yume, but I need to make sure about Kyatchi. I'll ask him when I see him._

* * *

 **The Trio's Testimony**

 **Summary:** Misaki, Masako, and Tomoyo have came around eleven, however Tomoyo left after Shinjimae had came around. In terms of order, it would be the trio together, Kyatchi and Yume, Shinjimae (Tomoyo left around this time), Akio, and then Tomoyo and Watari. Ayako and Decebel were nowhere to be found.

* * *

 **Suspicion About Kyatchi**

 **Summary:** Misaki mentioned that Kyatchi talked about the Ultimates killing him as an idea when everyone were supposed to meet. She and the others didn't take much notice of it because of his overall type of character and the fact he mentioned it once or twice.

* * *

Watari smiled at the group now and waved. He decided it was enough to speak to the trio of tight-knitted friends, and his investigation had to continue elsewhere now.

He looked around the area. There, nearest in proximity, was Shinjimae. He was with his labrador who was sniffing around the area, trying to find some clues. Watari couldn't help but chuckle at the sight before heading over to the animal whisperers' side.

"Hello," Watari began, greeting the taller man who instantly beamed at his way. The detective smiled in return before folding his arms, asking, "You're fine if I ask you a few questions, right, sweetie?"

Shinjimae instantly nodded his head, almost as excited as a giddy toddler. "O-of course! I-I am more than happy to, erm, help."

Watari hummed in response. "Well then, cutie, tell me a bit about your alibi, or testimony. When you got here, anything suspicious you noticed throughout the day, etc."

The animal whisperer rubbed his hands together and licked his lips. He thought for a moment, eyebrows furrowed. Saki came by close to nuzzle against his leg before he slowly gathered the words to enunciate, slowly saying, "Well… I-I wasn't the first person to, erm, meet a-at the spot. I-I think T-Tomoyo and her friends were, erm, there before me… O-oh! K-Kyatchi and Yume too! T-Tomoyo did leave after I came though."

 _Hm, so far everything seems aligned with what the girls mentioned earlier._ Watari nodded his head. "Anything suspicious you noticed then?"

"Erm… Uh, n-not really?" Shinjimae pursed his lips, tapping into his chin. "I-I don't really have anything else… A-anyways, S-Saki is helping sniff out clues, so, erm, i-if she finds anything, I-I'll tell you!"

Watari chuckled. "Not a problem at all, Shinji. Saki didn't find anything yet?"

Shinjimae murmured something to Saki who barked at him. His face saddened as he shook his head and glanced back to Watari. "S-sadly, she didn't find anything. Erm, s-sorry about that."

"No, it's fine. You're not at fault here, dear." Watari smiled, amused at the animal whisperer's expression. "Anyways, is that all you have to say for me?"

Shinjimae bobbed his head. "Mhm! W-why are you asking?"

The detective chuckled and kept his composure still, arms crossed. "Well, sweetheart, I do want to ask you something that dear Misa brought up- it's about Kyatchi."

"K-Kyatchi?" The animal whisperer tilted his head. "Erm, w-what's wrong with him?"

"Nothing, really." Watari clapped his hands together. "But! I did hear from Misaki and her friends that Kyatchi did mention something about him being killed by whoever had him as their target. Did that happen, or are they lying?"

Shinjimae wrinkled his nose. A moment passed before his eyes widened. He quickly nodded his head and cried out, "Y-yeah, I remember! Erm, K-Kyatchi did say something l-like that… I-I don't know why he'd mention something like that though."

"Obviously, because it's Kyatchi we're talking about." And, although true, Watari knew there was another reason for his behavior. "Judging from your little reaction, I'm assuming what the girls said about Kyatchi's true then."

"Mhm." The taller man giggled slightly. "B-besides, I-I do not see why, erm, they would lie to you… e-especially if everyone else can c-contradict their statement."

Watari scratched his head. "I suppose you have a point, but one must be suspicious of everything. I rather not take everything handed to me at face value, after all."

"Ah, t-that's true." Shinjimae nodded slowly. "Um, w-well, if you don't have, er, anything else, I-I'll continue to look for clues with S-Saki. I-is that, erm, alright?"

Watari chuckled. "Of course. That's fine by me, sweetheart."

The animal whisperer smiled in return, and he shifted his focus elsewhere. This allowed Watari to move, eyes scanning his surroundings. It seemed like everyone else had gone outside to search for more clues, and figuring there was nothing else off about what was inside the hot springs, he moved out.

Outside, what Watari first noticed, as he did before, were the flower petals that trailed off towards the hot springs. The trail most likely had started from the entrance into the swimming pool, though some had been slightly angled away from the path, or missing entirely. Watari frowned. This was quite peculiar.

* * *

 **Flower Petals**

 **Summary:** There was a trail of flower petals that started from the entrance to the swimming pool to the hot springs.

* * *

Watari didn't have much to answer about the flower petals. He had attempted to come up with a reason for the trail of flower petals, but nothing came to mind at the moment. He saw Kyatchi talking to Yume near a corner, and so the detective forfeited the thought of petals and walked to the duo.

"Oh, it's Watari." Kyatchi grinned as he looked at the raven. "You need something? Maybe you found who killed those two already?"

"I may be a detective, but I am not all-knowing," Watari retorted, rolling his eyes. "Anyways, dearies, I want to ask about your testimonies and a few other things."

Yume groaned, bemused. "Do I have to?"

"Unless you want me to call you out in the trial." The detective smirked dryly. "Whatever you prefer. I'm fine with any."

Yume frowned. She was obviously looking at the detective in disgust, but she was silent in compliance. She had said nothing and shrugged.

Watari chuckled and rubbed his hands together. "Well then, please go ahead and tell me your testimonies."

Yume continued to eye Watari as if he were some sort of monster, then turned her head to Kyatchi. She seemed to have thrown the attention to him, but the juggler didn't care, simply scratching his head and explaining. "It's nothing that concrete. I was just one of the first people outside with Yume. Before that, we were checking out the boxes near the trash-happy hogwash."

Watari rolled his eyes at the last phrase, but smirked and folded his arms. "Yeah, right. About that, sweetie, am I the only one who knows about it? Did any of you two tell anyone else about where you hid the boxes?"

Kyatchi shook his head. "Nope. I didn't bother to tell anyone about the boxes. They couldn't give a shit about them anyways."

"I only told you," Yume answered, straightforward. "No one else."

"Though now that you mention it…" The juggler pursed his lips, hands tugging at his bandannas. "I do recall Decebel- or Blanchard, more precisely, suggesting that we should hide anything that can be a weapon."

"Does that include kitchen knives?" Yume retorted. She then pointed a finger up and wagged it, lazily murmuring, "Y'know people use a spoon to kill people, right?"

"The fuck?" Kyatchi's eyes widened. "Really?"

 _Isn't that a reference to something?_ Watari deadpanned. "So, you heard Blanchard suggesting about hiding anything that can be used as a weapon?"

"Yup." Kyatchi smirked dryly. "I don't know if he actually went through with the plan considering he does need to use knives and shit to make food. You should ask Blaise though. He's like the only guy who actually stayed with Decebel and Ayako throughout these few days- which is a fucking miracle considering they plotted so much shit."

The detective sighed. "Yeah, I don't understand him myself."

 _Though I guess I have to go back to talk to Akio if Decebel went with the idea of hiding weaponry and stuff._

* * *

 **Decebel's Suggestion**

 **Summary:** Kyatchi heard Decebel (more precisely, Blanchard) suggesting that anything that can be used as a weapon should be hidden somewhere.

* * *

Watari nodded to himself. He knew Akio was still inside of the hot springs, assuming he wasn't blind and missed the actor passing by, The detective figured he could quickly ask Akio about what Kyatchi said, so he immediately headed back inside the hot springs and over to Akio (who was talking to Shinjimae now).

"O-oh, Watari!" Shinjimae's beamed for about the tenth time now. Watari even saw Saki's tail wagging happily in his sight. "D-do you want to, erm, ask about s-something? O-oh, and a-also, S-Saki told me something!"

Watari's eyes widened. "Oh, and what is it?"

Shinjimae rubbed his hands together. "E-even if it's hard for, erm, Saki t-to sniff out w-who the murderer is exactly… s-she did tell me t-that there's a-a really distinct smell of c-chlorine."

"Chlorine?" The detective frowned. He immediately cupped his chin and pondered. "... You only smell chlorine in swimming pools though."

"Mhm." The animal whisperer nodded rapidly. "B-Blaise and I are thinking, erm, t-that it's because A-Ayako had been swimming before g-going in the, uh, pool."

Akio bit into his lips. "It does sound like the likely answer. Ayako was wearing her swimsuit too."

Watari frowned, cupping his chin. He looked over to Saki. Although he did admit that dogs had a great sense for smell, as most animals do, he was unsure whether or not Saki, or Shinjimae, were lying to him. It wasn't that Shinjimae and Saki were bad in any way, but he was suspicious, and, nonetheless, it was mainly because he couldn't smell chlorine himself in the room- it might be because of the humidity in the air, and the fact humans do not have the best noses in the world.

* * *

 **Chlorine**

 **Summary:** Shinjimae reported that Saki smelled chlorine inside of the hot springs.

* * *

"A-anyways," Shinjimae quickly looked down at the detective curiously, "d-do you need something?"

The detective clapped his hands together. "Ah, yes." He shifted his gaze to Akio. "Dear, I want to ask you something."

Akio blinked. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

"Just needed to confirm something, that's all." Watari smiled. "But, dear, have you heard anything about Blanchard or Viorel suggesting putting weapons or the like somewhere?"

"Hm, hiding anything that's like a weapon?" Watari nodded, and it left the brunette to purse his lips and frown. "I remember Blanchard mentioning it to me, yeah, but he didn't actually do it. If anything, he was busy checking out the gardens, taking walks, cleaning the building, and cooking with Viorel."

The detective nodded slowly. "So, he just mentioned it? He didn't actually do anything, right?"

The actor motioned a nod. "Yeah, that's right. If he and Viorel did do something about this, they'd surely be caught or told us by now. Besides, they can't just hide all sorts of weapons, right?"

Shinjimae laughed. "R-right, like the, erm, t-the kitchen utensils."

 _Okay, basically what Yume and Kyatchi talked about._ Watari smirked. "Anyways, I suppose that confirms things. You're definitely sure Decebel hadn't tried to do something with their idea?"

"I'm sure." Akio crossed his arms. "If I wasn't, I'd tell you all."

The detective nodded. "Alright then. That's all I have to ask you."

The actor looked at the detective for a moment, then smiled softly. "That's good. Well, if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask. I'm going to ask everyone else about what they think soon."

Shinjimae jumped on the idea. "I-I'll help out!"

Akio ruffled Shinjimae's hair happily, affectionate out of respect for the animal whisperer's response. "Thanks then."

Watari eyed the duo for a moment, then deciding he was done talking to them. He went back outside to find Yume and Kyatchi investigating around the swimming pool. The detective observed them for a while before moving out, his mind centering around what Shinjimae noted about Saki- chlorine. Figuring where the smell of chlorine would not only originate, but linger aside from the swimming pool, he stepped straight over to the male changing room.

He headed inside and immediately went to his locker. He opened it up to find his trunks and towel, and the sunscreen and other objects inside. The detective frowned as he looked at the objects, then grabbing ahold of his towel and swimwear. Although slightly uncomfortable, he sniffed it nonetheless.

He expected it to smell like chlorine, but-

 _It smells brand new. I don't remember putting it in the laundry, right…?_

Then again, he hadn't swam much at all. He did try to practice with Shinjimae and Saki, sure, but other than that he figured he hadn't swam much in comparison to people like Misaki, Masako, and Tomoyo. Nonetheless, maybe even Decebel swam more than him. He walked over to the other locker rooms, trying to open them, but frowned once he noticed the one he was trying to open didn't budge.

 _Well, that's great._ The detective frowned. _Did Monokuma lock these up or something?_

Watari took out his MonoPad and immediately began to message the bear himself.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Monokuma)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Hey, Monokuma. (12:59 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Yes? What, you tired already? (01:01 AM)**

 **Watari: I need to ask you a question. (01:01 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Fine, fine. Shoot. (01:01 AM)**

 **Watari: Did you lock the locker rooms in the changing rooms? (01:02 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Oh right! That shit. (01:02 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Yeah, I did. I was supposed to lock them during nighttime as well as the building, but since this spot's pretty popular, I decided to lock it around 10. (01:03 AM)**

 **Watari: Really? But wouldn't you be concerned over how far in night time would be then? (01:04 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Nah, as long as they ain't asleep in places where they can be killed easily. You guys aren't stupid though, right? (01:04 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, you guys really love hanging in the swimming pool area, so I allowed the time to extend till 10. (01:05 AM)**

 **Watari: That does mean you told someone about the time. (01:05 AM)**

 **Monokuma: You don't need me to tell you. You already know who hangs out in this building a lot, right? (01:05 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Just confront them in the trial, lol. (01:06 AM)**

 **Monokuma: Anyways, if that's all you want to ask, then bye! Love you XOXOXOXOXOX (01:06 AM)**

 **Watari: Ew. (01:07 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari felt disgusted at what he just read, and he immediately shoved it the device into his pocket. Nonetheless, he knew he had a truth bullet to spare, hearing the MonoPad buzzing.

* * *

 **Locker Rooms**

 **Summary:** Monokuma said that he had the building closed around nighttime, but kept it open till ten because of its popularity. This means that the locker rooms are currently locked.

* * *

 _Wait a second._ Watari frowned. _If the building was supposed to be closed and is still open because of Decebel and Ayako's deaths, then why are the locker rooms locked still? Did he make a mistake? Wait, why is mine still open?_

Watari was about to grab his MonoPad and ask, but figured he could ask during the trial. Besides, he had little to no time to spare, for he heard that familiar announcement ringing throughout the campus, and that high-pitched voice piercing his ears.

"Upupupupu! Time is up, lovelies! I know how I made the truth bullets be handled is different and shit, but I'm confident you all got what you needed for the trial to be solved. I'm not biased. I can access your MonoPads and see what evidence you have anyways, and let me say- you definitely could figure out whodunnit, and the killer could escape. Boom, fair chance, see?!"

Laughter continued to erupt.

"Ahem, ahem, you all know where to report to anyways, right? Please meet in the gymnasium so we can begin the trial! Thanks!"

And the announcement cut off.

Watari frowned, biting into his lips. It seemed like the trial had to begin, sooner or later. He held his breath, feeling his heart pounding at him. He had to solve this, to figure out what happened to Decebel and Ayako.

He slowly stepped outside and made his way over to the gymnasium. He was the first one who entered, though it took seconds before everyone else slid their way into the gymnasium. Worry was on everyone's faces as they murmured and spoke amongst themselves.

 _It's obvious they're worried though, whether to 'avenge' who died or to save their own skin._ Watari inwardly frowned to himself. … _I have to do this without Monokuma actually telling me to do shit. I panicked last time, and I have a feeling things will become worse since Shinji and Moe know more about me._

The detective felt sweat beginning to form on his forehead. He clicked his tongue. _I can't help but feel weak right now. If Tadaomi was in this predicament, he would've handled it so much better than what I'm doing right now._

Shinjimae headed over to Watari's side, face entirely covered in sweat. Saki was comforting him with her soft fur against him. "W-Watari… erm, a-are you ready?"

Watari couldn't help but relax his posture. He noticed the immense worry and nervousness on Shinjimae's face. It was obvious the animal whisperer was panicking- he had the last case to blame. Two of his friends died- his closest friends. Watari knew Shinjimae was worrying that the same thing will happen. "I think the question is if you are fine."

"M-me?" Shinjimae blinked for a moment, then quickly shaking his head. "N-no, I'm fine! Erm, I-I'm more worried about you and the, uh, others…"

The detective shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Worry more about yourself."

Shinjimae gulped. "Y-you look pale."

Watari's eyes widened and he quickly shook the shock away. "You're just imagining things."

"Um…" The animal whisperer looked hesitant, eyes blinking. He stared at the detective for a moment, then awkwardly smiling and grabbing his shoulder. Watari threw him a curious look before Shinjimae patted his shoulder and rubbed it, saying in an anxious voice, "I-I may not be the best, erm, p-person for this, b-but if you need h-help, I'm here for you."

 _Help?_ Watari looked down at the animal whisperers' hand. He chuckled and gently moved it to the side. "That's quite kind of you."

Shinjimae scratched his head nervously. "I-I mean, uh, y-you can always just ask people f-for help. I-I'm pretty sure people like, uh, T-Tomoyo and Blaise are more than w-willing to, uh, help!"

Watari simply nodded. "Sure."

Shinjimae was a sweet person, Watari knew that, but he didn't believe in that idea. The idea to ask for help is something strange to him- eccentric. That was a strange concept to even hear, honestly.

Everyone continued to speak in hushed voices, and it took a few seconds before Monokuma appeared from the ceiling and jumped down.

"Hello!" Monokuma saluted the group. "Are you all ready? This is going to be our third class trial to date."

"Wow, ain't that swell." Kyatchi dryly smirked and crossed his arms. "Do you want us to celebrate or something?"

"Let's just get this over with," Yume said, groaning. "We have no choice anyways."

Tomoyo held her breath, turning her attention to Misaki and Masako who reassured her with gentle smiles and motions. They seemed to come together in a huddle, probably to speak words of positivity to one another- like they're a team.

Akio slapped his cheeks together. "Alright, let's do this then. Hopefully, this will be the last time."

"Last time?" Monokuma laughed. "Aren't you funny. Anyways, since you guys all seem ready, let's head over then."

As if his words signaled a remote control somewhere, the gymnasium suddenly rumbled, and everyone found themselves back in this dangerous predicament that while short, caused everyone to cry out in shock.

Watari fell down straight to the courtroom. He rubbed his back slightly and stood up, the court room's familiar sight greeting him. He frowned as he eyed the room, then seeing everyone else standing up with those anxious, worried expressions of theirs.

"Alright, everyone! Let's head over to your seats so we can get this shit started!"

The detective closed his eyes and breathed in, breathed out. Even if he didn't have the security of being Monokuma's plaything in head, he had one thing at least- and that was the prayer to Tadaomi. He knew if anyone could save him, it would be Tadaomi by his side, and although he wasn't here, Watari found himself safe- if not slightly.

He whipped his eyes back open, and those bloodshot eyes of his stared straight into the courtroom-

-the room where death lingered.

* * *

And that is all I have! Can you solve the murder just from what Watari had? Anyways, please feel free to theorize as much as you want and vote on my profile for who you think is the killer! I'm interested to see what you all think.

Here's some shameless plugging for people!

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** by RioA

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** by Prince PokePersona

 **Danganronpa: Brightmere Mysteries** by WritersMind15

 **Desperatio est Colosseum** by tobi-is-an-artist-too

 **Danganronpa: Final Flight** by Shirasaur

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** by Heroi Oscura

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** by SanityRequiem

Uh, that's a long list, but anyways- I'll see you all next time!


	27. Chapter 3 - Part 2, Part B

Hello, and I am finally here with a chapter for AoD! It took years to get this out, I bet. Anyways, trials are usually my weaknesses, so I was definitely less than excited to do a trial. Mysteries are fun though, so I do Danganronpa SYOCs nonetheless for the suspense! Anyways, I know you all had enough of me rambling, so let's get straight into the trial!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Yay, glad you enjoyed the investigation! Woo, halfway point! Definitely excited about that, not the trial, because third cases make me go ":/". I know right, third cases are hard. Haha, poor Ayako and Decebel. Oh no, not that reference XD It's okay, Decebel will stay as a butler at least. No one cares about murder, and then suddenly they care. They are weirdos, and I will sue them for that. Kyatchi always does want to be killed, let him live his dream! Flower petals are pretty, haha. Bye~ Thanks for the review!"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Yes, chaos will always ensue in a trial, no matter what! Aww, and thanks so much!"

 **Meta King:** "Of course you do~"

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Prince PokePersona!**

* * *

The courtroom was now fully in view, for all Ultimates alike to witness. Monokuma was urging everyone to take their seats, and without much opposition, everyone quickly and hastily ran to their destinations.

Watari was now currently in his seat, having prepared himself by taking a few breaths, in and out, in and out. He wasn't necessarily worried, though of course that might be a lie made to butter his heart. He wouldn't have known, of course. He would rather die than to allow himself to worry about his own aching heart, after all.

Nonetheless, he had his MonoPad near him, and the desktop in front of his face was turned on and working perfectly. He was ready, given by the truth bullets on display. He took in a breath and breathed out, then carefully reading through the list of bullets in the screen. A few minutes would pass before he was confident in what he had read.

* * *

 **List of Truth Bullets**

 **Case File #003 -** Ayako Aoki, the Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model, died inside of the hot springs. She suffered from a fatal injury to her neck and was also electrocuted, noticeable from her burnt skin. She had been holding onto a taser with her left hand.

 **Case File #004 -** Decebel, the Ultimate Butler, died inside of the hot springs. They were electrocuted to death, evident by their burnt skin as well.

 **Misaki's Autopsy Report -** Misaki reported that Decebel and Ayako died at an estimated time around 11:30 PM. She believed that Decebel had died first and that Ayako's cause of death came from the electrocution; Masako does believe this simply because Decebel had been electrocuted and Ayako held the taser in her hand beforehand.

 **Clothing -** While Ayako had her swimsuit on, Decebel hadn't.

 **Ayako's Left Hand -** The taser was held in Ayako's hand. It seemed like she had gripped it fairly loosely, though from what was last seen her fingers were able to loop around the taser quite well.

 **Motive -** You cannot reveal your targets to each other.

 **Akio's Conversations -** Akio had shown Watari his conversations with Ayako and Decebel. Their conversations will be seen through these two screenshots: [Ayako] [Decebel]

 **The Trio's Testimony -** Misaki, Masako, and Tomoyo have came around eleven, however Tomoyo left after Shinjimae had came around. In terms of order, it would be the trio together, Kyatchi and Yume, Shinjimae (Tomoyo left around this time), Akio, and then Tomoyo and Watari. Ayako and Decebel were nowhere to be found.

 **Suspicion About Kyatchi -** Misaki mentioned that Kyatchi talked about the Ultimates killing him as an idea when everyone were supposed to meet. She and the others didn't take much notice of it because of his overall type of character and the fact he mentioned it once or twice.

 **Flower Petals -** There was a trail of flower petals that started from the entrance to the swimming pool to the hot springs.

 **Decebel's Suggestion -** Kyatchi heard Decebel (more precisely, Blanchard) suggesting that anything that can be used as a weapon should be hidden somewhere.

 **Chlorine -** Shinjimae reported that Saki smelled chlorine inside of the hot springs.

 **Locker Rooms -** Monokuma said that he had the building closed around nighttime, but kept it open till ten because of its popularity. This means that the locker rooms are currently locked.

* * *

Watari looked over to the group, eyeing them carefully. Everyone seemed to have finished reading through their truth bullets. They were prepared as well- definitely needed for such a stressful environment as a killing game and courtroom.

Yet, nonetheless, Watari knew what he had would be different from what everyone else had. Even when everyone was prepared and had read through the truth bullets, he knew their list of truth bullets were not accurate to his own, nonetheless to each other's. Maybe some truth bullets weren't seen by the others, maybe some had gotten more information than he did- who knows?

None of those questions would ever be answered, he figured, and all he knew was that he had to be careful. He had to take extra caution, make sure and certain nothing would slip under his nose.

"Woo! Alright then!" Monokuma eagerly rubbed his paws together. "Let's get this amazing trial started, my lovely little shits."

Watari sighed at the bear's remarks, though he knew he had no time to worry over it. He had a case to solve, after all, and he was not going to let Monokuma bother him- at least, not during this crucial time period.

The detective cleared his throat, garnering the others' attention. They looked at him, and he smirked at them. Although he was not going to play nicely towards these Ultimates, he was at least going to play the part as an active detective. "Should we try solving the case now, or what?"

"Of course." Akio crossed his arms, a cautious expression resting on his face. The actor was more than ready to attack, on the offensive. "We need to figure out what happened here, after all."

Masako gulped, cupping her hands together and rubbing them softly. "T-this is unfortunate. If only the killer would reveal themself…"

"Yeah." Tomoyo frowned. She looked worried herself, though she kept on a brave front as she crossed her arms and smiled confidently. "It's alright. As long as we work through this carefully and meticulously, we can definitely solve this."

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Misaki smiled widely at the screenwriter. She cheerfully eyed the woman before staring at the crowd, confident. "I'm sure we can figure out who did this! We just need to work together."

Yume shrugged as she briefly turned to eye the group. "Hm… Then what should we talk about?"

"A-anything works with me!" Shinjimae cried out, more than eager and nervous to start the trial. "I-I'm going to, erm, try my h-hardest!"

"Of course you will. You always do," Kyatchi mused, smirking. He then turned over to Watari and raised a brow over to him, urging the witnessing raven to start.

 _Like I wouldn't._ Watari smirked back at the juggler, then cleared his throat and spoke, "Like always, I think we need to go over the general consensus of what we all know and see if there is anything we don't seem to agree on."

"Yup, sounds about right," Misaki murmured, commenting and noting the detective's words to herself.

"Alright then." Kyatchi rubbed his hands together and chuckled. "As per the little shortie's request, let's discuss murder."

Watari rolled his eyes at the man's little remark, but he knew better than to snark about it at the moment. He had to concentrate, and knowing Monokuma wanted with the use of different truth bullets for each individual, nonetheless worrying about what concerns might arise from it, he had to be more observant and careful. He did not want to make a blunder now.

 _It'll be the same as it always been, but I need to listen carefully to everyone to see if they have some more information about the crime or not._ Watari then frowned, forcing himself to breathe out deeply. _Yeah. Just relax and concentrate._

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #003 | Case File #004 | Clothing | Motive | Akio's Conversations**

 **Misaki:** So, Ari wants us to go over what we all know.

 **Shinjimae:** I-it's a smart idea! I-I like it, W-Watari.

 **Akio:** Hm… Well, for starters, we should have a basic idea of how Decebel and Ayako died.

 **Yume:** Yeah, they _**died inside of the hot springs**_ , to start.

 **Kyatchi:** Oh, and they got fucking _**electrocuted**_ , like goddamn that was hot.

 **Yume:** Kyatchi, no.

 **Tomoyo:** Uh, anyways, other than what Yume and Kyatchi said beforehand, Ayako was _**holding onto a taser**_. That could be the weapon used to kill them.

 **Masako:** T-they were _**wearing swimsuits**_ as well, suggesting that t-they had plans to relax in the hot springs before the murder.

 **Watari:** The murder was definitely _**planned out**_ , or it would've been pure coincidence.

 **Kyatchi:** I mean, some shit just roll that way.

 **Akio:** Uh… I rather not make it complicated than it already is, Kyatchi.

 **Kyatchi:** Hmm, like you're one to talk. Those messages I've sent you are _**pretty cute**_ , huh?

 **Akio:** No, s-shut up! Let's not talk about that while we're in a trial!

 **Yume:** Kyatchi, are you grooming him or something?

 **Kyatchi:** Hey, that makes it sound like I'm a pervert or some weird stalker. I just _**like to mess with him**_ , that's all. Nothing suspicious.

 **Akio:** Ahem, let's just go back to the trial! Please.

 **Tomoyo:** In the Case Files, there _**lacked a time of death**_.

 **Shinjimae:** W-why would he do that? I-it's not fair…

 **Misaki:** Given how temperature affects death, Monokuma was definitely aiming to mess with us. Even if I'm a surgeon, I'm not exactly a goddess at what I do, so…

 **Masako:** Y-yeah, unless anyone of us are experts in mortification.

 **Yume:** … I think we covered everything that should be common knowledge by now. Can we hurry up and move on?

 **Akio:** I think we can.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Clothing-**

 **Watari:** You've got that wrong!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

The detective wagged his finger about as he looked over to Masako. Although it was merely a gesture meant to tease her, he knew it might've ticked off a couple or so people inside of the room. He did have a reputation for pissing off others, after all. "It might seem like a nitpick, but it makes it sound like you believe Ayako and Decebel both had their swimsuits on during the murder."

Masako blinked. She eyed the shorter Ultimate for a moment before throwing a hand to her mouth. "O-oh, my apologies! I-it completely slipped off my mind!"

"Yeah…" Kyatchi scratched his head, raising a brow mockingly. "Decebel wasn't in their swimsuit, so poor Ayako couldn't see them in their glorious ripped stage."

Yume groaned. "You never make sense."

"It's okay, Masa!" Misaki threw her friend a warm and wide smile, hands clapped together. "Everybody makes mistakes! Don't feel bad about it."

Masako blushed, cheeks red in response to her friend's words. She slowly resorted to nodding her head and letting out a soft, "Yeah."

"Anyways, we got the misunderstandings cleared up, I would hope." Watari crossed his arms, deciding to throw on a more serious front. "Let's ignore the two case files for a while then and discuss about what we believe happened."

"What we believe, huh." Akio cupped his chin. "Well, guess I'll start." The actor looked over to the group and threw them a cautious gaze. "Going off what the autopsy report said, I think Decebel died first, then Ayako. I think it would make sense as well, considering it was most likely a result of Decebel learning where Ayako was, and then killing her as a result of everything."

"I mean," Tomoyo awkwardly scratched her head, "It makes sense, but then it would suggest that Ayako had the taser with her beforehand which I find… I don't know, a bit strange? Why would she have the taser with her to the hot springs?"

The actor frowned. "I mean, I wasn't implying that, but that is a good point to bring up."

"Maybe Decebel had the taser with them first?" Misaki tilted her head confusingly. "It would be the perfect murder weapon, after all, Ayako's in the hot springs. Water and tasers don't mix."

Kyatchi snickered amusingly. "Sadly enough. Water and electricity could've bode well for a good circus act."

"Of course you'd say that," Yume groaned. She then released a soft yawn before groggily asking, "Wouldn't it be better if Decebel was in their swimsuit though? It would've been easier for them to hide evidence this way, especially if blood got on their clothes."

"Oh, that's right." Tomoyo cupped her chin, a hardened expression overwhelming her face. "Well…"

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why wouldn't Decebel wear a swimsuit instead?**

 **A. They were lazy to wear one.**

 **B. They didn't think that far ahead in their plan.**

 **[C. The motive deterred them from thinking far ahead.]**

 **D. They were not afraid of Ayako hurting or injuring them.**

 **Tomoyo:** _I think I got it!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Tomoyo cleared her throat and garnered the Ultimates' attention. "I think the reason for that is because of the motive."

"T-the motive?" Shinjimae worriedly eyed the screenwriter. "T-the one about the, erm, t-target? W-why?"

"If the murderer kills their target, then they leave without a class trial." Tomoyo looked intensely into the Ultimates' eyes, confidence surging as she continued to speak. "Decebel wouldn't be worried about the evidence because of the motive. If they killed their target, they would've been able to get away from the class trial scot-free."

"Wait a second." Watari threw a hand up. He noticed Tomoyo throwing him a look, but he simply reassured her with a wink before looking back to the group. "Moe is right about that, but that means Ayako is not their target."

"Well, shit." Kyatchi frowned. "So, uh, now what?"

The detective simply grinned. "Don't stress about it too much, dear Kya. This only means that either Decebel's target wasn't actually there and they couldn't leave without freaking out Ayako, or Decebel didn't even know."

"Ari, wait." Misaki crossed her arms. "But Decebel and Ayako are dead, so does it matter if one of them was each other's target or not?"

 _Right._ Watari hated to depend on Monokuma, but it wouldn't hurt to try. He quickly cleared his throat and glanced up to the bear. "Can you be a dear and answer Misa?"

Monokuma was picking at his tiny nose, so when he noticed Watari he quickly threw his paw back down to his side and awkwardly laughed. "Ahahahahaha, sure, sure…" He then blinked and crossed his arms. "Erm, question, please?"

Misaki deadpanned. "Oh, so he wasn't even paying attention to us." She felt Masako and Tomoyo throwing her reassuring looks, so she shrugged it off and threw Monokuma a small smile. "Oh, it's about if there would be a class trial if someone died while killing their target."

"Ha, easy question. I gotcha, babe." Monokuma smirked and adjusted his seating. "Guess I'll be nice to you all, so my answer is: no. Why waste your time like how the killer wasted their time by dying trying to kill their target? I mean, sure, the target is now a killer if they didn't die in return, but the killer doesn't deserve shit. I gave them a chance, but nope."

Akio frowned. "That's… actually kind of nice of you."

Monokuma raised an nonexistent brow. "Well, is it now? My answer could've changed depending on if either Ayako or Decebel lived, so it's not exactly nice of me, honey. I very much prefer to play fair, at least slightly."

Watari threw the bear a dirty look. _Yeah, totally._ Nonetheless, everyone had the answer they needed, and this definitely changed Watari's mindset on things. "Well, let's discuss about things with what Monokuma had to say in mind."

"What if Monokuma's lying though?" Yume crossed her arms, throwing Watari a look of distrust. "Aren't you working for him?"

 _Not anymore, sweetie._ Watari knew better than to reveal it, and considering the intrigued look Monokuma threw at Yume, the detective had to play the fool. "Just because I'm working under Monokuma doesn't mean I won't help. Besides, it's not like I can order Monokuma around. I'm not his boss, sweetie."

"Let's just try to believe in Watari," Akio begged, trying to calm down the situation. "He did help us in the last few trials, remember?"

Kyatchi threw the actor a strange look. "Dude, you went batshit crazy in the first one."

"I-I'm sorry, okay?" The brunette glanced to the side. "I know that was stupid for me to do, and I'm a bit well-known to do that, but…"

Watari raised a brow. "Known to do that?"

The actor's eyes widened, and he quickly shook his head. "Nevermind that. Let's just listen to what Watari said. He's helped us before."

 _Hm…_ Watari did recall meeting Akio before the entire killing game spurred, but he has not heard anything about Akio's outbursts similar to his with Wakana and Kiyoko's case. _Then again, actors are quite the manipulators themselves, and unless the higher-ups are hiding something from me, then…_

Watari then frowned inwardly to himself, heart beating slightly quicker than before. _His actions do scream suspicious at me, but I did think he was just trying to get himself back on his feet. Then again, everyone here has been acting strangely, especially considering how most of them did not care at all about dying-_

"I just want to get this trial done with and figure out who did it," Misaki cried, interrupting Watari from his thoughts. "I don't want any of us to suffer through this any longer."

Yume sighed. "So, what, we listen to Monokuma?"

Masako nodded her head slowly. "I-if you'll excuse me, but I think that's the most efficient way to continue on from where we left off." She nervously breathed out. "I-I don't think that Monokuma would lie to us so much, e-especially if he wants to play fair."

Kyatchi looked uneasy at this, but simply sighed himself. "I guess so. It's one way to discuss about shit, I guess."

Tomoyo blinked. "Ah, right."

"Mhm." Shinjimae rubbed his hands together, Saki easily comforting him by rubbing herself on his leg. The animal whisperer was more than anxious, sure, but Watari knew that the young man was daring himself to try harder. "Erm, if anything, I-I'll help you guys out!"

"Awfully cute of you to say," the juggler then mused, tugging at his bandannas, "but alright then, let's see what you guys got."

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Ayako's Left Hand | Akio's Conversations | The Trio's Testimony | Suspicion About Kyatchi**

 **Akio:** So… I'm guessing we're going off the idea that Decebel's target _**was not Ayako**_.

 **Yume:** Given what Monokuma said, yeah, I guess.

 **Kyatchi:** What, did Decebel just come to the hot springs hoping to find their target, but accidentally stumbled into Ayako?

 **Misaki:** Hm, but it looked like Decebel _**knew**_ what to do, given how far of a walk from inside this building to the hot springs is.

 **Watari:** True. However, this either means that Decebel's target was not Ayako, and _**vice versa**_ , or there is something else hiding in the midst of things.

 **Tomoyo;** Is there a possibility there might be a _**third person**_ playing in this?

 **Shinjimae:** T-that's right! But, erm, w-who would it be…?

 **Kyatchi:** Given that they _**died around 11:30**_ … Uh, I don't know.

 **Yume:** Wow, that's helpful.

 **Akio:** Don't worry, I'm sure we'll think of something. Let's think about who was with us during 11:30 then.

 **Kyatchi:** Well, that would have to be Decebel, Ayako. Uh... I think all of us were here during that time, but didn't _**we separate**_ since we were going to look for those guys?

 **Misaki:** Oh, that's true. That means anyone of us could be guilty…

 **Watari:** Then, let's think about something else. How about this- is there anyone we suspect right now?

 **Kyatchi:** I swear to the fucking gods someone is going to suspect-

 **Misaki:** If I think about it, Kyatchi was a bit _**suspicious**_ before Decebel and Ayako were found.

 **Kyatchi:** Oh my fucking god. What, because I wanted to be _**suicidal**_ still? You guys were more suicidal than I was that time!

 **Watari:** Well… then who else do we suspect other than Kyatchi?

 **Shinjimae:** I-I wouldn't suspect anybody. We, erm, _**were all there**_ at the time of the meeting… N-none of us left u-until, erm, w-we realized Ayako and D-Decebel were gone.

 **Kyatchi:** Yeah, we all wanted to hold hands and sing fucking- what, a Taylor Swift song? _**Bad Blood**_ sounds like something I'd sing though.

 **Tomoyo:** Uh… I mean, American music's great and all, but what does that have to do with the trial?

 **Masako:** I-I think we can ignore that then.

 **Kyatchi:** And yet my feelings are hurt, again.

 **Misaki:** Do you need a hug? If you want, I'll be more than happy to give you one!

 **Kyatchi:** Ew, gross.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: The Trio's Testimony-**

 **Masako:** P-please pardon the intrusion!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Masako bowed her head down repeatedly as Shinjimae worriedly eyed her. The woman felt extremely terrible for this, but she had to correct the animal whisperer. "P-please, I do humbly apologize, but I think what you said is wrong."

"H-huh? O-oh!" Shinjimae's eyes widened. He awkwardly laughed as Saki comfortably licked him. "E-erm, it's not a problem at all… uh, w-what did I get wrong?"

Masako gulped. "W-well, if you had forgotten, T-Tomoyo had to go out for a bit to bring Watari. He wasn't with us at the time, and despite everyone else having came- er, a-aside from you know who- we all came in at different times a-and I would still label that as, well, worrying. I-it would be one thing if we were in a group, but…"

Watari saw how disappointed Shinjimae looked with himself, and the detective quickly cleared his throat to throw the animal whisperer's mind off. "Ahem. Yes, dear, I had the misfortune of falling asleep, but it was a miracle I woke up to see a pretty angel in front of my door." Watari could feel Tomoyo's reddened face glow with a cold glare on him. "If I remember correctly, I came over with Moe around 11:20, though it might've been later than that given Kya's messages in the group chat came around that time."

"Okay, you're an observant one." Kyatchi smirked, simply amused. "But, yeah, that sounds about right. Tomoyo was one of the first people early if I remember her telling me correctly, but she left to fetch him, then they came around the time we began to worry about Ayako and Decebel."

"Everyone else was already here by the time those two arrived," Akio agreed. He then frowned, cupping his chin. A moment passed as the air tensed, the brunette slowly looking over to Watari and Tomoyo. "Could it be possible that you two were conspiring something?"

Tomoyo's face fell. "What?" It was a harsh question, and she immediately recognized this, quickly clearing her throat and speaking in a more, albeit forcibly, polite tone, "What're you talking about?"

Misaki immediately threw her fists down. "Hey! You better not be suspecting Tomoyo there! She'd never think about murder. She's too sweet for this!"

"I mean, I'd like to believe that," Akio began, "but I rather suspect everyone than nobody at all. That's what I've learned, at least." He then frowned. "I like all of you, don't get me wrong, but we're in a trial."

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I think we already know that. Some people aren't dead for a reason."

Masako couldn't help but gulp, cupping her hands together. "S-so, what're you thinking then, Blaise?"

Akio awkwardly scratched his head. The actor was definitely feeling bad, eyes averting from Watari's and Tomoyo's, but nonetheless he sighed and continued. "I think it's kinda obvious Watari's been interested in Tomoyo since the get-go. If not that, then considering Watari's relationship to Monokuma, and considering Tomoyo was the one to fetch Watari beforehand… I think it does make them the slightest bit suspicious."

Yume raised a brow. "Weren't you the one who vouched for us to trust Watari though?"

"People play Devil's Advocate for a reason." Watari easily shrugged it off, unbothered by where the trial was heading. He simply smirked at Akio and crossed his arms. "So, just because I chose to be 'close' to Tomoyo, you're going to label us as suspicious."

Misaki glanced between Watari and Akio. She then glanced over to Tomoyo who was silent, fixated on the situation. She shook her head. "Yeah, I'm not going to stand for this!" She quickly pointed to the actor. "If you want to know, crushes are a thing! You had the hots for Wakana, so you should know!"

Tomoyo's face became red once again. "M-Misaki!"

"Okay, even if none of that was true, I already know they're innocent!" Misaki bit into her lips. "I wanted Ari to talk to Tomoyo when she ran away that time! If you want to deem that as suspicious, then I think you should blame me."

Masako gulped. "Y-yes, I was there when it happened."

Akio eyed the duo for a moment, then shaking his head. "Okay, but that was one out of many. How many times have Tomoyo gone out to greet Watari? How many times have we seen Watari talk to Tomoyo? We don't even know each other well, unfortunately, and we don't know their relationship."

"You just want them to explain their relationship then." Yume sighed. "You could've asked them from the start. This is a waste of time…"

Tomoyo quickly shook her head, finally having found her voice as she cleared her throat. She garnered everybody's attention, and thus began speaking in a firm voice, "It is in my duty to be as straightforward to you as I can be. I talk to Watari not because of an opposing alliance to our own side as fellow Ultimates, but because I am interested in Watari himself. His relationship to Monokuma worried me enough to make me talk to him, that is all."

The screenwriter kept her eyes away from Watari who watched her silently, almost observing her and critiquing her every movement. "I'm sure Watari is interested in me because of my relationship to Kiyoko. If not that, then I'm assuming he merely wants to mess with me. He would never reveal anything about himself, so to assume him wanting to bring me to Monokuma's side is nothing more than a… uh, flimsy, if I had to be honest."

 _Hm… so that's what you think of me._ Watari was honestly unsure of what to expect though- it's not like he was expecting anything in the first place. Even when he noticed Tomoyo throwing him a small look, he simply ignored it to focus on Akio. "You already know I like to pry into people's lives, so I have to say my behavior towards Moe isn't anything new."

Yume couldn't help but groan. "Yeah, he's nosy."

"See? Case settled." Watari smirked and clapped his hands together. "Anyways, Aki, is that all you have to say? Because even though Moe and I were the last ones to be with the group, it doesn't necessarily label us as suspicious."

"Really?" Akio raised a brow. "Why?"

"Simple!" Watari giggled. "Because any one of you guys would've seen us if we were out to kill Decebel and Ayako. They were all the way in the hot springs, and that's quite a far walk, now isn't it?"

"Oh, right." Misaki smiled, happy at Watari and Tomoyo's newfound innocence. "Tomoyo ran out from the entrance to find Ari, and there's no other way to go around this place to the outside. We were all blocking the entrance anyways."

"Alright then, I see." Akio sighed, forfeiting with his shoulders slouched. "Then that's out of the window for now." He crossed his arms. "Alright, then what should we talk about next?"

Shinjimae shyly raised his hand. "Erm, m-may I ask something?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Watari immediately threw the animal whisperer a warm smile. "What did you want to ask?"

The animal whisperer beamed at the acknowledgment, immediately nodding his head. "Y-yes! Erm, I-I was wondering if, uh, w-we can talk about h-how Ayako and Decebel died."

"How they died?" Kyatchi raised a brow. "Wasn't that stated in their case files?"

Shinjimae flinched. "Erm, uh, yeah, but… W-well, I-I do have something I want t-to ask… I-is that alright? A-am, erm, I bothering you guys?"

Masako simply smiled. "Ah, o-of course not. Please go right ahead."

Shinjimae nodded his head, petting Saki in the meanwhile. "O-okay then. I-I was wondering about t-the, erm, w-way Decebel and Ayako were, uh, killed. T-that's all."

"Hm? Is something about it strange to you then?" Akio asked, speaking to Shinjimae in a gentle tone.

"Mhm, yeah." Shinjimae averted his doe eyes to the side. "L-Like… I-I don't mean to sound s-so rude, but, erm… I-if Ayako had the taser in her hand, t-that would imply s-she wasn't spasming w-when getting electrocuted… D-doesn't that, erm, s-sound impossible?"

Kyatchi's eyes immediately widened upon this, his voice falling into a soft, "Oh shit."

"A-and if D-Decebel died first, and then Ayako… I-it just doesn't make sense to me…" He stopped and noticed everyone's gaze upon him. He quickly covered his head. "I-I'm sorry! I-I sound stupid, don't I?!"

"And given that she had the taser with her…" Akio slowly began to nod his head, understanding Shinjimae's words with careful consideration. "I see. It is a good point to bring up, Shinji."

"Y-yeah, it is." Masako nodded her head slowly as well. "But, then, what could it mean?"

Tomoyo frowned, biting into her lower lip as she tapped her fingers to her table. "It might be possible… I'm not sure. We should check it on the simulation, maybe? It should tell us if it's possible or not."

"Right." Yume frowned. "I forgot we had that."

Watari simply grinned, clapping his hands together. "Alright, then that's what we should do, dearies." He then began to move his hands to the desktop, bringing the mouse over to click on the simulation application. He toyed with it for a moment, working with the settings and configuration, before clicking onto a button. He glanced to the group. "Do you guys see it?"

Misaki was the first to call out, screaming a loud, "Yup!"

"Alright then." Watari pressed down his finger, and soon the simulation began to work its magic.

* * *

 **SIMULATION**

Sadly, the simulation of a murder had to be played out. Ayako had the taser in her hands, and the lolita fashion model looked ahead to find Decebel, plain in sight. They were wearing their usual butler outfit, contrasting her own outfit which consisted of a swimsuit. She gulped.

Decebel loomed closer, and their feet began to move into the waters of the hot springs. She was afraid, and she knew Decebel was going to kill her.

She had no choice. She saw Decebel grabbing at her, and strangling her. She quickly had to use the taser, quickly flipping the switch and turning it on, causing the entire hot springs to buzz with an electrifying sound.

Ayako and Decebel spasmed. Everything was burning them. They couldn't leave, or escape. They couldn't do anything as they were left victim to the electrical waters, burning them and killing them instantly.

They laid there, dead. Ayako's entire body was burnt, and her body was floating. The taser was floating astray, moving away from Ayako.

 **Theory: [PROVEN WRONG]**

* * *

The simulation ended. Although it was quite gruesome, even in its fictional setting, Watari knew how disturbed the others were. He threw on a cool smirk, and mused, "Guess Shinji's right, hm?"

"Yeah… But that begs more questions, honestly." Akio sighed, crossing his arms. He had an eyebrow raised, his own irises staring at the desktop screen in front of him. "Considering Ayako's horrid state to Decebel's, there was definitely a struggle and I assume Decebel would've tried to pry the taser off of her hands."

"Right." Misaki bit into her lips. "We did see how banged up Ayako was too. Not only was her body charred, but she suffered a fatal injury to her neck."

"Y-yeah!" Masako nodded her head rapidly. "W-wouldn't that kill Ayako?"

"It depends on how fatal the neck injury is," Misaki explained, sighing as she scratched her head. "Neck injuries could either cause someone to die instantly if their neck had snapped, or they could've choked to their blood or die out of a lack of blood circulation to their brain and heart, and out of their the lack of air. It depends, really."

"T-that's so horrible!" Shinjimae cried, shaking his head. "P-poor Ayako…"

"Meh." Kyatchi shrugged. "But, honestly speaking, isn't it crazy if Decebel died first then?"

"I mean, it would make sense," Akio admitted. "They struggled, and Ayako tased them to death. Their body was burnt too, remember?"

The juggler frowned. "But, considering Ayako's state…"

Misaki shook her head. "Decebel died first, remember? Ayako's injury most likely came as a result of the struggle, and Decebel thought she was dead, so they were going to leave her be until she had them tased to death, alongside her."

"Wait a second though." Yume frowned. "But isn't there a third perpetrator to this case?"

"Okay, but we're still not exactly sure of that," the surgeon answered. "The third perpetrator could've been plotting everything, or they were just an unlikely witness to everything."

Tomoyo cupped her chin. "They most likely asked Decebel to kill their target then, huh?"

"I thought they didn't want to see anymore deaths?" Kyatchi smirked. "What, are they hypocrites now?"

Akio shook his head. "I believe Decebel died first. I trust Misaki."

"But what if she made a mistake?" Yume asked, even more bemused with her frown growing deeper. "It doesn't make sense for Decebel to have died first, and for a taser to be in Ayako's hand. The simulation doesn't lie, right?"

Monokuma immediately jumped into the fray with a loud, "Nope! I told you guys, I'm fair as an angel!"

Watari smirked at Monokuma, though it was more of a mockery than anything else. He turned to the group and clapped his hands together. "If anything, I think we need to think of the case where Ayako died first, and then Decebel."

"What?" Masako blinked. "E-excuse me, but given Misaki's report…"

"Yeah, yeah, but what if she's lying?" Kyatchi asked.

Misaki was in utter shock. "What?!"

The juggler groaned. "Okay, 'making a mistake'. What if Misaki's wrong? We're not getting anywhere using her report anyways, to be honest."

Tomoyo was shocked, eyes blinking as she looked at Kyatchi. "I mean, it's still something, right?"

"Do you even think it's helping us get anywhere?" The juggler frowned. "I'm pretty sure you want to advance this trial as much as possible, right?"

"I mean…" The screenwriter quickly hardened her expression, shaking her head. "I do, but I rather not put others down because of what I think."

Yume groaned. "Can we just say that maybe Misaki's wrong and that maybe Ayako died first? It might make more sense."

"Does it really?" Akio tilted his head. "If anything, I want to agree with the statement that Decebel died first. Ayako wouldn't have known that someone was targeting her, after all."

The nihilist rolled her eyes. "No, seriously, I-"

"Okay, okay, okay! Stop it, stop it right there!" Everyone immediately went silent at the sound of Monokuma's voice. His high-pitched voice was echoing throughout the entire room, eyes staring down upon them. The bear smirked once everyone was silent. "Ahem, anyways, my cuties, you're all arguing over something, hm?"

"Uh…" Masako couldn't help but answer. "Y-yes?"

Monokuma's smile widened and he began to applaud. "Woot! Looks like we're going to get ourselves in a scrum debate then!"

Shinjimae gulped as he looked over to Saki for comfort. "W-what is a, erm, scrum debate?"

The bear chuckled. "Simple, really~ Just pick a side and you argue against the other side. Whichever side is able to shut up and drown out the other side wins, that's all."

"Hm, really?" Kyatchi couldn't help but be interested, eyeing the bear with a grin. "Sounds fun. It's like a team shoutout contest then?"

"Er, I guess? Whatever you want." Monokuma shrugged, slouching into his seat. He snapped his fingers however, and a small device popped out in front of him. "You guys will see." And then he immediately pressed into the device, straight into the red diamond-shaped button.

Without warning, something flashed in Watari's screen. The detective frowned, looking over to read the words 'Pick a Side!' in flashy red font. There were two options below the big font, one being 'Ayako Died First', and the last one being 'Decebel Died First'. Below that, in return, was the question, 'Who died first?'.

"What is this?" Akio was the first to ask, frowning upon the bear.

"Self-explanatory." The bear chuckled. "Just choose one of the answers and the scrum debate will take itself from there." He then snapped his fingers. "Oh, and you must choose a side- I don't want only a few people to do the work. This is a team effort, after all!"

Yume sighed. "What if someone's truly neutral though?"

"Nah, that's impossible." Monokuma waved it off with his paw. "There's always a skew towards something, no matter what you want to believe."

"I mean…" Tomoyo gulped. "I guess we have to listen to Monokuma?"

"It's not like we have a choice." Kyatchi admitted, cracking the stiffness away from his neck. "We're not getting anywhere right now."

"I-I really don't want to choose…" But Shinjimae knew he had no choice. He silently hugged Saki to himself before moving the mouse over, contemplating on an answer.

Slowly, everyone began to press something. Watari could see the worry on Tomoyo's face as she was one of the last people to choose an answer, her fingers shakily moving over the mouse. She was definitely worried, and Watari wondered what was going through her head.

Nonetheless, he moved the cursor over to his answer, and clicked on it. There, the desktop turned black, and there was another red font of words that simply said, 'Good Luck!'.

Monokuma grinned and clapped his paws together. "Alright then, everybody chose a side! Let's get this scrum debate started!"

And within seconds, the entire courtroom began to rumble.

"W-what in the actual fuck?!" Akio couldn't help but scream as his own chair began to rise from its position, straight, straight, high into the air. "Holy shit- AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Pfffft! Oh my fucking god, what a scaredy cat." Kyatchi did not look fazed at all when he was being lifted off from the ground himself. Instead he was laughing his ass off, pointing at Akio who was more than afraid, frightened. "Fucking loser!"

"Kyatchi, you're so rude," Yume simply commented, uncaring if she was too near to the edge of her own seat.

Shinjimae held tightly onto Saki, closing his eyes shut. "W-we'll be fine… we'll d-definitely be fine…"

Misaki simply stood up from her seat and bellowed under the lights above. "Woo! This is fun!"

"Welp, glad to see you're excited. Time to do that too." And with that, Kyatchi immediately jumped to his feet and began to dance in the wobbling chair, almost mocking death itself. He even had to nerve to sing out, "Tuturu~!"

Tomoyo shakily grabbed onto the edges of her seat, her breath hitched as she was being lifted off. She threw a look to Masako who looked unfazed herself, although Masako did throw her a look of comfort in response to her own worry.

As Watari noticed he was being lifted off from the ground himself, he can hear Monokuma from below screaming out:

"SIT YOUR ASSES DOWN BEFORE YOU DIE! Geez, I don't want a stupid death to occur… Anyways, you guys will be separated into whichever side your chose, and from there you have to fight for your side! Whoever's side wins will advance, and there you can continue on with the trial! Uh, yeah, I think I covered everything… Good luck!"

And with that settled, and some strange lighting turning the courtroom blue as the Ultimates were moved to their respective side, the scrum debate was now in play.

* * *

 **SCRUM DEBATE**

 **Question:** Did Ayako or Decebel die first?

 **LEFT SIDE "AYAKO DIED FIRST":** Watari, Tomoyo, Yume, Kyatchi

 **RIGHT SIDE "DECEBEL DIED FIRST":** Misaki, Masako, Akio, Shinjimae

. | . | . | .

 **Misaki:** I would never lie to you guys! _**I know**_ Decebel died first!

 **Kyatchi:** _ **You know**_ , but are you sure about that? We don't know ourselves and have to take your word for it, because we don't know shit ourselves on corpses!

.

 **Akio:** It makes much for sense for Decebel to have died first. It would explain why they were _**tased**_.

 **Tomoyo:** Excuse me, but them being _**tased**_ doesn't mean anything. They could've been tased before Ayako died, during Ayako died, or even after she died!

.

 **Masako:** I-I do think Decebel died first. They would've easily _**killed**_ Ayako if they hadn't died as quickly as possible.

 **Watari:** Are you sure about that? Anyone could be _**killed**_ in any given way, you just have to consider the circumstances.

.

 **Shinjimae:** U-uh, erm… E-even with what I said before, i-it's possible for Decebel to die because s-she _**held the taser**_ …

 **Yume:** Weren't you the one who questioned why she _**held the taser**_? You already know how stupid it is to think that she held that in the first place.

.

 **Akio:** Misaki explained it herself, didn't she? Ayako's _**neck injury**_ doesn't mean she died first!

 **Kyatchi:** Yeah, no shit, but her _**neck injury**_ can be fatal as well! Don't just ignore that fact!

.

 **Masako:** I-I believe Decebel could've died first because they were _**targeting**_ Ayako. Ayako wouldn't have known she was being targeted, right?

 **Yume:** Yeah, but remember what Monokuma said? If Decebel was _**targeting**_ Ayako, then this trial would've never happened in the first place. Besides, there's a third perpetrator to think about, remember?

.

 **Shinjimae:** T-the _**perpetrator**_ has nothing to do with this, r-right? I-I don't understand why, uh, you guys w-would talk about a third perpetrator…

 **Watari:** Sweetheart, there's plenty of reason to talk about the third _**perpetrator**_. It would tell why Decebel targeted Ayako, and if Ayako even knew about it.

.

 **Misaki:** The perpetrator does nothing! They don't _**explain**_ why Decebel or Ayako died first!

 **Tomoyo:** It would _**explain**_ a lot of things! Like, we don't know anything about why Decebel decided to target Ayako, or why they'd help the murderer! I'm sorry, but we need to talk about every possibility!

.

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Tomoyo gulped, knowing that look of betrayal Misaki threw at her would hurt. Even when everyone was being brought back down, back in their original spots- she noticed that look of betrayal. She knew it would hurt, but she didn't think it would hurt so much. She just had to look away, balling her hands into fists as she forced herself to speak. "I'm sorry, but I just think we need to consider the possibility of everything here! Even… even if that means going against Misaki's autopsy report."

"Tomoyo…" Misaki bit into her lips, holding her breath. "Are you… are you suspecting me of murder then?"

"W-what? N-no!" Tomoyo quickly shook her head, paling. "O-of course not. I just… I just think this is for the best."

"Of course it is," Kyatchi stated, bluntly as possible. "Trials aren't happy fun times, y'know?"

Yume sighed. "So, you guys can finally talk about Ayako having died first. Woo."

The juggler immediately turned to Yume and grinned, clapping his hands together. "Wow, Yume, you're actually very vocal in the scrum debate! I thought you'd be silent as fuck- then again, you've been more vocal recently."

Yume threw the man a cold glare. "Whose fault do you think that is?"

"Haha, not me." Kyatchi then smirked and threw a wink to Watari. "Now then, detective, let's move this trial forward, shall we?"

Watari chuckled. "Of course, of course." He focused his attention to the group. "Alright then, let's finally switch sides and discuss about what if Ayako died first."

Misaki looked heartbroken at this, mainly because of Tomoyo, but simply sighed and nodded her head. "Alright then."

"Hm…" Akio thought for a moment, cupping his chin. "Well, if we're going to be speaking with that in mind, then what are our beliefs so far?"

"B-beliefs, huh?" Shinjimae thought for a moment, then slowly raising a hand up. "Erm, m-maybe while Decebel killed h-her because of the, erm, neck injury, h-he put the taser around her fingers?"

"But that wouldn't explain how Decebel died then, though it would make sense." Akio sighed. "Now that I think about it… where did they find the taser anyways?"

Kyatchi deadpanned. "Shouldn't you know?"

"Huh?" Akio blinked for a moment, then his eyes widened. "O-oh shit! Yeah, probably in the warehouse, huh…"

"Wait a second." Misaki threw a look at the group. "Did anyone check the warehouse?"

"Nope." The juggler frowned. "Sadly enough."

Masako sighed upon this fact. "U-unfortunate. W-we should've checked to see if there were actually tasers in there then…"

"I mean, I don't remember what's in the boxes myself," Akio admitted, awkwardly scratching his head. "Er… but I guess there were tasers in there, given the wide variety of things inside the warehouse."

Watari shrugged. "It's fine. We can figure things out from here if we discuss things more thoroughly."

The actor pursed his lips. "I mean, I guess."

Yume scratched her head, groaning. "I can't believe I have to talk more…" She grumbled to herself before raising a hand up. "Hey."

"Huh?" Kyatchi glanced over to the nihilist. "What's up? Feeling dead already?"

"What, no." Yume deadpanned. She then shook her head and began to move her mouse in accordance to her mouth moving, saying, "There are multiple tasers inside the boxes."

"Huh? What?" Misaki blinked. "You weren't in the group though when we investigated the outside area, right?"

"Nope. I have something." Yume began to look through her truth bullets, and there she found something to present.

* * *

 **PRESENT THE EVIDENCE**

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: List of Items-**

 **Yume:** _Yeah, here._

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Suddenly, everyone's desktop began to ring with a notification bell.

Watari frowned as he looked at his screen, finding something of interest to him. It was a truth bullet, a picture of a sheet of paper with numbers and words written on it. To the right of the picture was the description of the truth bullet, detailing:

["Yume made a list of how many items were inside each box. She mainly did this because of Kyatchi and her own boredom, to be honest. Here is the list:

'Hammers: 10

Broken Markers: 34

Pellets: 32

Maces: 3

Tasers: 2

Rope: 6

Balls: 14

Chloroform Bottles: 11

Normal Things: 23

… : 28']

Watari looked over to Yume who sighed, scratching her head. The detective remembered bumping into her while she was helping Kyatchi, and so he couldn't help but let off a small smirk. "I see. You're actually more useful than I thought."

"When did you count all of these?" Akio asked, confused. "Did you do this when we weren't around or something?"

"Oh, I can explain. Don't worry." Kyatchi snickered, playing with his bandannas. "Since you guys were fucking useless, I decided to be assertive and asked Yume to help me out by hiding the boxes away from you all. Who knows when another murder might happen, hm?"

Masako blinked. "T-that is kind of you, but I'm sorry… It sounds quite out of character?"

"Honey, you don't even know me." Kyatchi deadpanned, immediately shutting the survivalist down. "Anyways, you guys annoyed the fuck out of me, so I just had to do something. You know how hard it was to climb up the goddamn ladder, grab those stupid boxes, and hide them? I'm surprised Yume's arms were still alive, honestly."

Yume quickly averted her gaze. "He forced me to do it. I wanted to sleep."

Shinjimae couldn't help but gulp. "B-but then, erm, w-where did you hide the boxes…?"

"The trashiest place ever- the dumpster place, basically." The juggler raised a brow. "No one goes there anyways, so I thought it was the perfect place to hide shit if someone was planning to kill. Guess it didn't work though, since the murder weapon's literally a taser."

Akio frowned. "Hm, who knows about this? Was it only you and Yume then?"

Yume shook her head. "I bumped into Watari, so I told him what was going on."

Watari chuckled and threw his hands to the air. "Yeah, I know about it. Besides, it's not like it makes us guilty, right?"

Tomoyo held her breath, unable to say anything as Misaki took over instead with, "It does, but at the same time… if anyone tried to get something from the warehouse to use as a murder weapon and find it gone, then…"

Shinjimae shook his head. "Erm, b-but the people w-who even knew about the, uh, t-things in those boxes w-were Misaki, Blaise, and Y-Yume, right?"

Yume sighed. "Kyatchi only knew about those things because of what I told him, that's all."

Masako nodded her head slowly. "A-all we learned about what was inside of the warehouse wasn't anything that could be deemed as murder weapons."

Akio scratched his head nervously, speaking softly, "Yeah, my group wanted us to hide the fact that there were murder weapons inside of the place."

"Doesn't that make you guys suspicious though?" Tomoyo asked, although carefully and with careful choosing of her words and tone. "It doesn't exactly put you in a good spot."

"Oh." The brunette's face immediately fell at this revelation. "Right, shit."

Kyatchi smirked. "If anything, shouldn't we be honing down on Misaki?"

Misaki's eyes widened as she turned to the juggler in shock. "What?! Why me?!"

The juggler's smirk became wider as he mockingly mused, "Aww, I don't know. Is it because of your autopsy report? Or is it because you know about the things in the warehouse? I don't know, maybe a handful of things?"

Tomoyo bit into her lips. "Kyatchi, please!"

"Hmm, just saying." Kyatchi shrugged, rolling his eyes. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, Tomoyo."

"I mean…" Akio pursed his lips. "If we're going to list off our suspects based on who knows about the contents inside of the warehouse, it's quite a handful of us. Me, Yume, Misaki, Watari, and Kyatchi. It's more than half of us."

"At least it makes Shinji and Masako innocent." The juggler laughed. "The two little stuttery, polite cuties. Oh, right, and poor little Tomoyo too."

Masako blinked. "Uh, excuse me?"

Tomoyo gritted her teeth. "I am not going to allow you to just offend me so casually." She spoke louder, keeping her composure firm as she said, "If you want to point fingers, we should do it while discussing about what happened to Ayako and Decebel. We haven't figured that out yet, right?"

"Wow, she looks like she wants to slap me. I'm so scared." Kyatchi obviously looked at Akio while speaking, though he couldn't care less about the brunette's reaction to it. "But, fine with me. I need closure on what the hell happened to those two anyways."

"Yeah, totally." Misaki threw the juggler a disgusted look, though it was more out of concern for Tomoyo than anything. She quickly changed her expression as she fixed her gaze to the whole group. "Okay, so we're going to go with the idea that Ayako died first?"

"Y-yeah, that's right." Shinjimae bobbed his head. "G-given what Yume showed us… T-there were two tasers. O-one of them was used."

"I think neither Ayako or Decebel knew of where the tasers would be, nonetheless about it anyways," Kyatchi mused. "So, it's the third person involved in this whole shit."

"Let's cross off Shinji, Tomoyo, and Masako then." Akio tapped his fingers to the table. "Hm… But it's still a long list of suspects. How do we narrow it down?"

"Simple." Misaki frowned. "Kyatchi and Yume planned to hide the boxes somewhere, remember?"

"Mhm, and the suspicion falls on me yet again." Kyatchi dryly smirked. "Now, why would I be so stupid and hide the boxes away when I know suspicion will fall on me?"

Tomoyo glanced over to Misaki worriedly. "Uh, I think even if Kyatchi and Yume planned to hide the boxes, they wouldn't have murdered Ayako and Decebel."

"Why?" The surgeon threw a look to the screenwriter. When Tomoyo thought she was done speaking, her voice suddenly fell into an aggressive, "Why?"

It made Tomoyo gulp. She knew she had hurt Misaki plenty of times already, and she knew she was going to hurt her again. "They wouldn't have told us about this otherwise, or even told Watari about this if they were planning to murder…"

"Oh, makes sense." Akio immediately broke the tension, whether ignorant of it or not. "Hmm… but it still means anyone in the list could've been the third person behind the crime, which makes this harder, unfortunately."

"That's worrying," Yume simply said, sighing.

"D-don't worry about it!" Shinjimae cried, trying to comfort everyone inside of the room. "I-I know that, erm, a-as long as w-we try, w-we'll figure it out! I-I believe in us!"

"Woah." Kyatchi couldn't help but throw Shinjimae a baffled look. "You're like the purest cinnamon roll I've ever seen. Who made you?"

The animal whisperer cowered in response. "Erm, m-my parents…?"

 _Oh gosh, Shinji's just trying to help us out. The poor guy just doesn't want to see everyone die, even despite Hitomu and Keishi dying on him._ Watari pursed his lips, eyeing Shinjimae who was being teased by the juggler. The detective knew better than to let it be, simply clapping his hands together and loudly clearing his throat.

"Alright, then, dearies, let's continue on with the trial by focusing on how Ayako and Decebel died. I know there are plenty of questions ringing just from that, so I think we should stop messing around and see what could've happened to our poor dears."

And Watari himself didn't know what to think about this case. He was one of the people with plenty of questions ringing inside of his head, yet he would never admit it. He knew everyone were confused themselves, and he didn't trust them to help him effectively.

He had to pry answers from them, and to see if he can get anywhere from there. He couldn't simply ask- that was unlike him, and he knew everyone would eye him if he were to ask politely.

No, he had to pry answers from them, and he would continue to play as a detective he deemed as perfect.

* * *

 **CLASS TRIAL POSTPONED**

 **Survivors: 8/14**

* * *

Woo, and there we go! That's the end of this part of the trial, and now we shall wait ten more years for the next update! Just kidding, of course, but hopefully you'll all be patient with me for the next chapter!

Anyways, feel free to leave your thoughts! I'm more than happy to look at them and see what you have to say about the chapter so far. Of course, here are my promotions of the chapter:

 **Danganronpa: Blood Sport** (tobi-is-an-artist-too)

 **Danganronpa: Brightmere Mysteries** (WritersMind15)

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** (Heroi Oscura)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** (Prince PokePersona)

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** (RioA)

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** (SanityRequiem)

Anyways, that's all I have to say! For now, goodbye!


	28. Chapter 3 - Part 2, Part C

Hello everyone, and I am finally back with the next part of Chapter 3! Sorry it took a while to write this, aish, I had to actually redo this chapter 2.5k words in. I actually wrote the redo in the day, and so here we are! Haha, I can be crazy, huh? Anyways, I don't really have much to say, so let's get on with the story~

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Aww, thanks so much! Haha, don't worry, I'm sure everyone will update their SYOCs in no time~ My ability to write is dying in return for their ability to think, oof. Yes, unless we want a bad ending, of course. Don't we all? Haha, good theory, I like it. Tasers are amazing weapons to use. Just kidding, don't use tasers. Yes, Watari and Akio are our protagonists- er, Akio for the Prologue and Chapter 1 only though. Kyatchi is amazing, we must stan him. He's a beautiful baby. The scrum debate is amazing~ Haha, not surprised. Thanks so much!"

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "I know right? Shinji is such a cinnamon roll, he's so cute."

 **Meta King:** "Beautiful review. It is quite lovely."

 **Lupus Overkill:** "Short review, but it still looks like an essay to me! Watari always just wants to get right into things, that silly detective. Oh my, technically, that's it, haha. What motives can do to people, sad. That's sad, why can't we just have no trial and be done with things? That would make life easier for me too! Watari's a detective, weeeee, and yes, that would be interesting, haha. Non-stop debates, woo. Yes, they do not see each other as friends. Oof, that must hurt. But, anyways, yes, we must establish that. Oh my, yes, another debate. Oof, poor Tomoyo and Misaki, and then there's Masako who's just there. It's okay, we shall all laugh at Akio. Ouch, poor Misaki. Yes, exactly. We shall cry. Oh my."

* * *

 **CLASS TRIAL IN SESSION!**

 **ALL RISE!**

* * *

Watari looked over the group, eyeing everyone's expressions. Definite worry and nervousness. _Hmph, not a surprise at all though. We're in a class trial._ He rubbed his hands together and continued, speaking in his usual honeyed tone, "So, dearies, does anyone know who could've done it? You know, who could've taken ahold of the poor, poor taser?"

Yume shrugged. "I mean, we listed off my group, you, and Kyatchi, right?"

"True." The detective smirked, unfazed. "Though what Aki said is right- it could be anyone. We're not exactly sure if anyone spied on Kyatchi and Yume, or if they bothered enough to check the dumpster room."

Kyatchi sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Guess I should've just thrown the boxes into the incinerator, huh? Burn them all to shit."

"D-do not worry about it! U-uh, it's alright!" Shinjimae immediately jumped to Kyatchi's comfort. "Y-you wouldn't, erm, k-know that a m-murder would've occurred!"

The juggler shrugged, ignoring the animal whisperer's words of comfort. He simply turned to look at the group as a whole before speaking, saying in his usual critical tongue, "Other than that, so, what? Our suspects are Ayako, Decebel, or the third culprit… which could be anyone, haha."

"I doubt Ayako could've gotten the taser," Akio admitted, pursing his lips. "She wouldn't have known about the boxes, nor where the boxes would've been unless someone told her."

"Should I even trust you?" Kyatchi retorted, smirking as the actor's face flushed. Seeing this simply made the man laugh. "I'm just kidding, I trust you. Yeah, definitely."

Masako awkwardly held her hands together and rubbed them, murmuring softly, "T-that's not reassuring at all…"

"I guess our next topic of discussion would be about the taser." Tomoyo then eyed the detective, asking for his acknowledgment with a silent stare.

"Yeah, that's right." Watari smirked. He looked over to the group. "Is that fine with you all, cuties?"

"I-I'm fine with that!" Shinjimae bobbed his head. "I-I'm sure we can, erm, d-do this if we work hard e-enough!"

Misaki threw Watari a thumbs up, winking his way. "Whatever you say, Mr. Sherlock Holmes! Whatever you do, I'll follow."

Yume shrugged. "Yeah, sure, whatever." She yawned and stretched her arms out. "I don't really care what you guys do."

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Misaki's Autopsy Report | Ayako's Left Hand | Suspicion About Kyatchi | Flower Petals**

 **Akio:** So… considering what we have been talking about, I'm assuming Ayako _**couldn't have**_ been the one with the taser, right?

 **Misaki:** But the taser's _**literally in her hand**_.

 **Watari:** If it were me, I would assume either Decebel or the third culprit had gotten ahold of the taser. The question is, _**who and how**_?

 **Tomoyo:** Given that there's _**only one taser**_ present, and in Ayako's hand… I'm assuming it was planted there? It was definitely not Ayako who had it.

 **Masako:** E-excuse me, but how are you so sure? Ayako could've, er, used the taser for _**self-defense**_.

 **Kyatchi:** Does she even know how to use it properly? _**Probably not**_.

 **Yume:** Wow, that's _**rude**_. No wonder why Ayako hated you.

 **Kyatchi:** Pfft, hate is such a strong word. I prefer… hm, I don't know, a dislike boner?

 **Shinjimae:** W-w-w-what?!

 **Watari:** You have dirtied his ears, you slimebag.

 **Kyatchi:** Oh, shit.

 **Tomoyo:** … If the third culprit had the taser, then it could be _**anyone**_.

 **Misaki:** Yeah, anyone could've known about Kyatchi and Yume's plan _**no matter what**_. I'm still really suspicious of Kyatchi and Yume.

 **Kyatchi:** Okay, wow, rude.

 **Yume:** Meh.

 **Akio:** Surely not. Besides, there are plenty of other people we should suspect… ah, yes, including me, though I didn't do it.

 **Masako:** E-excuse me, but that makes you _**sound suspicious**_.

 **Akio:** Oh, true. Oops.

 **Yume:** … We're not going to go anywhere at this rate.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: List of Items-**

 **Kyatchi:** Boom! Gotcha, bitch!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Kyatchi smirked as he looked straight at Tomoyo, the screenwriter simply staring at him with worry on her face. He couldn't help but snicker as he began, first having cleared his throat. "Now, I know we're all excited and busy here, but I think we have forgotten to listen to Yume's words very carefully- oh, and I mean verrrrry carefully."

"I see. Please explain what you mean," Tomoyo slowly replied, speaking in a calm, yet bothered tone of voice.

"Haha, it's nothing important! Don't get your panties in a bunch!" Kyatchi easily mocked the woman. Noticing the slight disgust on her face, he found it in himself to continue, rubbing his hands together as he said, "I think we're all thinking very stupidly here- remember what Yume said? That she had a list of the items inside of the boxes?"

"What about them?" Yume asked, groaning. "Do you want me to show them again?"

"Nah, don't bother wasting your time." Kyatchi chuckled as Yume raised a brow his way. He simply tilted his head as he focused his attention back to Tomoyo. "If you don't remember, then here's the tea, sis: there were two tasers, not just one."

Tomoyo went silent. It took a moment before she finally spoke, nodding her head slowly. "... Right, I remember now. That is my bad then. I have forgotten about that."

"Yup, but everyone else did, don't worry." Kyatchi smirked, now focused on the entire group. "What I want to explain is simple: if it wasn't Ayako who had the taser, then yeah, shit it's Decebel and the third culprit… but not just one of them, but both of them. There's two tasers for a reason, and if they're working together it makes sense, right? One weapon for each teammate!"

"It…" Akio raised a brow. "I guess?"

Watari simply nodded his head. "I see. Though given this revelation, it is more likely that Decebel and the third culprit were working together, even if it was a strong possibility beforehand. It was a weak case to argue that Ayako could've used the taser for self-defense, especially in a water like setting."

"But most of us hated her." Misaki frowned. "She could've been worried that we were going to attack her, especially because she's helped murder people before."

"I'm aware of that." The detective sighed. "But, she wasn't protecting herself, given that she was alone and got killed anyways."

Masako's eyes widened. "W-Watari!"

"It sounds mean, but I'm just being blunt here." Watari smirked dryly. "What I want to say is that if Ayako truly was worried about her own safety, she wouldn't even be out in the first place, at least not without Aki or somebody she trusted."

"He's right." Akio crossed his arms. "I never even knew she was there until it was too late. From what I've known, I'm the only one who talks to her now."

"Exactly." Kyatchi nodded his head eagerly, happy to see he was right. "Then again, Misaki, I'm surprised you forgot about this fact. You were one of the people who knew about the boxes, right? Shouldn't you have remembered?"

Misaki frowned, the sudden accusation grinding on her nerves. "Shouldn't you say the same about Blaise?!"

"Oh, right." Akio awkwardly laughed, scratching his head. "I was busy thinking, sorry."

"Then again, there was a lot wrong about your autopsy report anyways, so that doesn't really matter." Kyatchi smirked at Misaki, amused at her discretion. "11:30? Ayako dying last? Doesn't make sense!"

"Of course her dying last makes sense!" Misaki gritted her teeth, hands clenched into fists. "You just refuse to believe it!"

Tomoyo gulped, biting into her lip. She wasn't sure why Misaki was being targeted by Kyatchi- although she had an idea- and she wanted nothing more than to stop this.

Well, she wanted to stop this, but she couldn't help but find an answer to why Ayako dying wouldn't make sense. It was quite obvious, really.

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would it not make sense for Ayako to have died last?**

 **[A. Because of how she died.]**

 **B. Decebel is too strong to have died first.**

 **C. She's not dead yet.**

 **D. There's no evidence to suggest she died first.**

 **Tomoyo:** _Here's the answer!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Tomoyo had to do this, quickly raising her voice and crying out, "I'm sorry, but I think it's obvious why she died first! How she died makes it obvious."

And she knew that look of betrayal would hurt, especially when Misaki asked in a low, shaky voice, "But I already said neck injuries couldn't lead to instantaneous deaths all the time!"

"S-she does have a point," Masako spoke, quietly. "I-I remember her mentioning how neck injuries work…"

"Exactly!" Misaki groaned. "I already explained this! Ayako's neck could've been snapped, sure, but that doesn't mean she would've died instantly!"

Tomoyo's expression soured. "But, I mean, her dying first makes much more sense."

"How about we all calm down and talk about this together?" Akio immediately jumped to neutrality, eyeing the group of women with a calm smile. "Let's just talk about it and see what happens, alright?"

"That works." Yume sighed, scratching her head. "I just don't really care, honestly."

"Yeah… sure." Tomoyo hesitated, but nodded her head slowly, forcing a small smile on her lips. "I think that's fine."

Misaki was more than bemused, her eyebrows furrowed. "I think it's already obvious I'm right though. I have no reason to believe otherwise."

Akio's eyes widened at this. Shock was apparent on his symmetrical features. "M-Misaki? Just calm down, would you?"

"S-she does have a right to be angry though." Masako shyly smiled at the group, then turning to Tomoyo and throwing her a saddened stare. "P-please, you don't truly suspect Misaki, right? She's our friend."

Tomoyo gulped. She couldn't help but tap her fingers against her sides, sweat trickling down from her forehead. "I'm just trying to think of all the possibilities here. I don't want to negate everything, Masako."

"I-I see." Masako's words were kind, but her expression told Tomoyo a different story otherwise. "I-I do truly believe that Misaki is innocent though."

Tomoyo couldn't help but avert her gaze. She usually wouldn't, but she couldn't help it. "... Because she's your friend, right?"

Masako's head perked up at this. She stared at Tomoyo for a moment before smiling, nodding her head. "O-of course, you are a friend to me too… B-but, I'm sorry, I want to prove you wrong. I-I think Misaki's right! We should listen to her!"

Tomoyo held her breath. She couldn't back down now. She just couldn't afford to do such a thing. Not here, not ever.

* * *

 **REBUTTAL SHOWDOWN**

 **Truth Blades: Case File #003 | Akio's Conversations | Suspicion About Kyatchi | Locker Rooms**

 **Masako:** I-I think Misaki's right!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** S-she's right about neck injuries.

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** H-having a fatal neck injury doesn't mean you'd die instantaneously.

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** It's contrary to what you'd see in horror movies, or contrary to popular belief!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** W-we can't just be certain that her injury was the one that killed her!

==SLASH!==

.

ADVANCE!

 **Tomoyo:** Even if you want to believe in Misaki, that doesn't mean we should trust her completely.

 **Tomoyo:** Besides, there's no evidence that points to Ayako dying a slow death from that injury!

.

 **Masako:** Y-you just can't say that!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** I-I'm sure there are plenty of evidence out there on how Ayako's neck injury could've been slow-inducing!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** I don't think there's much evidence pointing against her neck injury being instant either!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** W-we should just trust in what Misaki said for now!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** W-we're not getting anywhere by pinning everything on her, and ignoring everything she's been saying!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** M-Misaki had trusted us ever since we've been here!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** I-I know it sounds harsh, but you shouldn't just throw her off like that!

==SLASH!==

 **Masako:** A-as long as you don't _**provide evidence**_ , then I see no reason why we shouldn't believe Misaki!

.

 **-Truth Blade Selected: Case File #003-**

 **.**

 **Tomoyo:** This should be enough evidence to prove you wrong then!

==SLASH!==

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Tomoyo was breathing deeply, out of breath. She hated this, she truly did, but she had no choice- she had to do this. "The wording of Ayako's case file. That… that should be enough evidence to tell you why… yeah, why she's wrong."

Misaki was silent, staring at Masako who was completely thrown off guard, shocked. It took seconds before the survivalist readjusted her composure, forcing herself to calm down as she mumbled, "W-why? Why would that tell you anything?"

The screenwriter's expression hardened. "Misaki believed that Ayako had been electrocuted first, then had her neck injury, right?"

Misaki eyed the woman for a moment. It was obvious she was pondering, thinking about something. "... Yeah, right."

"Then, the wording on the case file should've told you otherwise." Tomoyo crossed her arms, fingers tapping to her sleeves. "The case file said that Ayako suffered from a fatal injury to the neck, _then also_ having been electrocuted. I haven't noticed this beforehand, but I think this tells us what happened first."

Masako was baffled, unsure of what to say. "U-uh…"

"Right!" Watari snapped his fingers together. He whipped his head to Tomoyo and threw her a wink, speaking in his usual teasing tone, "Moe's right. Given what the case file said, I think it should've been obvious that Ayako died from the neck injury! Her electrocution is treated as nothing more than a simple pastime, after all."

"W-what?" Masako blinked. "I-I mean, excuse me, but just from that?"

Yume stared at the case file she opened up. She read through it for a moment before sighing, scratching her head. "It does sound like it, yeah."

"Pfft, yeah, especially in comparison to Decebel's- er, nevermind. They actually didn't suffer a neck injury." Kyatchi then smirked. "And not a _fatal_ neck injury at that point."

Shinjimae felt Saki nuzzling herself against his leg, and he simply pursed his lips. He was silent for a moment as he read through the file a couple of times, humming to himself before shyly asking, "I-if we're, erm, d-discussing about the wording, t-then I, uh, do believe it is suspicious."

Masako couldn't do anything, silent as she shook her head in complete disbelief. "B-but Tomoyo… F-from that alone?"

Tomoyo bit harshly into her lips, almost causing them to bleed. "Yeah."

"Ugh, forget it." Misaki quickly shook her head, waving Masako off. She threw the survivalist a small smile before frowning again, attention turned back to the Ultimates. "It's all because of the autopsy report, right? You can't just expect me to be a master at rigor mortis."

"Uh, right." Kyatchi dryly shrugged his shoulders. "Says the one who wants to steal some DNA samples from people."

Misaki's eyes widened. "Hey! How dare you-!"

"Let's just all calm down then!" Akio quickly yelled out loud, clapping his hands for extra measure. He forcibly shut everyone's words down, then sighed and smiled widely at the group. "Misaki's autopsy report is inaccurate, but we shouldn't completely fault her for it."

Kyatchi groaned, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, right. I think we should fault her." He smirked once Akio threw him a look of complete disbelief. "What? I think we should. She's really suspicious, y'know?"

"Then I'll just prove my innocence." Misaki crossed her arms, glaring at the juggler. "Fine, then how about this: if they didn't die around 11:30, like I said, then what time do you propose?"

"U-uh…" Shinjimae was eyeing the others worryingly. "W-what's the answer to that…?"

Yume snorted. "Like I know?"

Watari simply smirked, rubbing his hands together. "Well, there's only one way to find out, my dearies- we need to talk about it, shall we?"

"Right…" Akio slowly nodded his head. "Yeah, let's do that."

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #004 | Motive | Chlorine | Locker Rooms**

 **Misaki:** So, like I said, if it wasn't at 11:30, then what specific time?

 **Masako:** I-I would think 11:30 makes sense though…

 **Yume:** No. No _**it doesn't**_.

 **Kyatchi:** Hmph, well, I think the answer's obvious: _**before 11:30**_!

 **Tomoyo:** …

 **Akio:** …

 **Kyatchi:** Well, shit. At least I know you guys don't think it's after 11:30 then!

 **Watari:** Anyways, dearies, has anyone seen Ayako or Decebel before 11:30? Of course, after dinner, since we've seen them _**during dinner**_ , I would assume.

 **Akio:** Ah, I have texted them around eleven since I was worried, but they _**haven't messaged**_ me back.

 **Tomoyo:** Oh, really? They haven't messaged you back though, so it must've been _**before eleven**_.

 **Misaki:** But how are you guys so sure of that? It's not like they can just _**refuse**_ to answer your messages, Blaise.

 **Akio:** Hm… that is a possibility, true.

 **Kyatchi:** Well, you agreed with her easily. Ignorant child.

 **Akio:** Um, excuse me, but aren't we the _**same age**_?

 **Tomoyo:** … Ignoring them, I think it is very plausible that the murder happened before eleven. I'm just unsure when exactly.

 **Shinjimae:** Erm, n-no one has seen t-them personally? A-after dinner, o-or at least, uh, saw them?

 **Yume:** No, unfortunately.

 **Akio:** Then, is there any _**specific piece of evidence**_ that can link to what time either Ayako, Decebel, or the third party arrived to the crime scene?

 **Shinjimae:** I-I don't, erm, have anything…

 **Misaki:** Not surprised, really. Rigor mortis does tell me that it's _**at 11:30**_ though.

 **Masako:** M-maybe we should go back to what Misaki mentioned in her autopsy report? It does seem t-the _**most useful**_ piece of evidence so far.

 **Tomoyo:** I… I mean…

 **Misaki:** Tomoyo, please.

 **Tomoyo:** I… I can't though.

 **Misaki:** Tomoyo…

 **Masako:** P-please, let's just go back to what Misaki said. I-I'm sure we'll think of something if we listen to her!

 **Akio:** Well…

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Locker Rooms-**

 **Watari:** Here, I'll show you!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Watari slammed his fists down and smirked eagerly at the group, his blood red eyes almost shining a dangerous hue. Confidence was radiating from his entire body. "I know when they died, or, at the very least, when Ayako came into the building."

Misaki's eyes widened. Her entire expression was that of complete and utter shock. "Ari, what're you talking about?"

The detective winked. "Have you heard about the recent little rule Monokuma made for the building? Or, more importantly, the locker rooms?"

"What?" Kyatchi was baffled. "Well, shit, no one told me about this."

"I doubt he told anyone," Akio replied, eyebrows raised in complete disbelief. "I haven't heard about this either."

"Ah, of course!" Monokuma clapped his paws together, laughing in the meanwhile. "Oops! I haven't told you guys that much! Only told like the few people who stayed up late to relax in that building since, er, yesterday? Don't remember- ah, whatever! Just explain it, Watari!"

"Haha, sure." The detective forced himself to not roll his eyes. He cleared his throat, and began with a simple, "So, to explain what I mean, Monokuma told me that while the building usually closes around nighttime, he decided to keep the building open till ten because of how many people use the building. This would mean, however, that the locker rooms are open till ten. Although I have checked and the locker rooms were closed, I assumed Monokuma simply forgot in the time of investigation."

"Yeah, I did, whoops!" Monokuma laughed, as if uncaring. He even threw Watari a smirk, amused at Watari's half-truth- only he and Monokuma knew, after all. "Sorry about that! I knew Watari was going to mention it though. If not, I would've told you all before the trial."

"Well, you didn't." Yume raised a brow. "You lied."

"That's because I knew Watari would bring it up!" Monokuma growled. "Don't accuse me of something I didn't do! Geez, you're so rude!"

"Uh…" Akio slowly forced everyone's attention back to the trial. "Anyways, so how is this important to the trial, Watari?"

"Oh, I know." Tomoyo nodded her head, looking confident in herself. She looked over to Watari, then to the group. "It has to do with the fact that Ayako had her swimsuit on, right?"

"Exactly!" Watari smiled widely. She smiled back in response, and he couldn't help but become slightly flustered as he quickly shook his embarrassment away. "Ahem. Well, Tomoyo is right. Ayako was wearing her swimsuit. So, the murder definitely had to happen around the time Ayako can grab her swimsuit, before ten."

"W-wait a second, please." Masako gulped, holding her breath. "H-how does that tell us when Ayako or Decebel died though?"

"Isn't that obvious?" The detective chuckled, more amused than before. "Wouldn't Decebel and the third party wants to know where Ayako is? Why would they not follow her to the building?"

Masako went silent, at a complete loss. "B-but… For it to be before 11:30… There's not that much proof."

"Exactly!" Misaki gritted into her teeth. "Besides, how are you so sure the swimsuit didn't just come from the laundry or something?"

"What?"

The surgeon bit into her lips. "Isn't it obvious? Ayako could've wanted to bring her swimsuit to clean in the laundry room. Didn't you guys want to do that?"

"Okay, no, but I think that's not possible." Akio raised his hand up. "I think Monokuma mentioned this before too, so I doubt anyone would really bother to bring their swimsuit to the laundry room."

"What?" Misaki was confused, eyebrows raised. "What do you mean?"

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would it be nearly impossible for Ayako to have done what Misaki proposed?**

 **A. Because Ayako rarely cleans her clothes.**

 **[B. Because Monokuma would've cleaned them anyways.]**

 **C. Because Monokuma does not allow it.**

 **D. Because Ayako usually forces Decebel to clean her stuff anyways.**

 **Akio:** _I got it!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Akio pointed to Monokuma. "Well, him again. We should've known that Monokuma would've cleaned the swimsuits regardless. If you haven't heard, well, now you know!" He smiled brightly, showing his pearly white teeth. "Since Ayako and I usually swim a lot, we already knew that Monokuma would've cleaned or give us more sets of our swimsuits anyways. I really doubt Ayako would've done what you suggested."

Misaki quickly shook her head. "You're probably just saying that because of Ayako, huh?"

"No, or else I would say so otherwise." The actor crossed his arms. "I want to find the truth as much as you guys do."

Kyatchi awkwardly laughed. "Yeah, I think we already knew that, you crazy little shit."

"Uh, anyways…" Tomoyo awkwardly cupped her hands together and rubbed them. "Let's listen to Blaise. I trust what he says, especially if Monokuma isn't denying it."

"Hah, why would I deny it?" The bear mused from his throne. He was sipping into his drink of martini. "I like making sure you guys are clean and healthy. Sure, I make you guys clean your own set of clothing, but it's not like I can afford buying you so many swimsuits and just not clean them."

Shinjimae nodded his head slowly, almost in sync with Saki who was bobbing her head as well. "U-uh, I see. T-that's kind of you…?"

"Yeah, I know right?" Monokuma smiled. "I'm the best."

"B-but still!" Misaki quickly shook her head and slammed her fists. "There's still no proof that she died like immediately after wearing the swimsuit! Like, what, did she die at exactly ten? Nine? What time?!"

"She does have a point," Yume murmured, stretching her arms out. "We're not exactly sure about the time still."

"I'm sure there's a reason for it," Akio said, clapping his hands together. "We just need to think about what it is."

Misaki shook her head. "There's no reason. Look, I don't think we can figure out when Ayako and Decebel died. It's crazy if you're thinking about it, unless you're listening to me, of course."

Tomoyo raised a hand. "Hm… well, if Ayako was wearing her swimsuit, maybe she wanted to go swimming?"

Masako raised a brow, baffled. "E-excuse me, but is there even evidence of that?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "O-oh! I have some!"

* * *

 **PRESENT THE EVIDENCE**

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Chlorine-**

 **Shinjimae:** _Here!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Shinjimae smiled confidently as he showed the truth bullet to everyone. "S-Saki said she said c-chlorine i-in the hot springs! Erm, I-I was confused about it at first, b-but, uh, I-I think it's because of A-Ayako's swimsuit!"

Kyatchi shrugged mockingly. "Yeah, besides, Decebel wasn't wearing a swimsuit either, unless they like to soak themselves or swim naked?"

"W-what?!" The animal whisperer's face went red. "Erm… Uh, b-besides, K-Kyatchi's right. I-I doubt Decebel swam in the, uh, p-pool."

"Mhm, and given what Monokuma said from Aki's account, everything's holding up well." Watari smirked. "Ayako came to the building before ten, and Decebel and the third culprit followed. They either came when she went to the hot springs, or they stalked her like some perverts."

"W-wait a second." Masako gulped. "B-but if Ayako went swimming, why couldn't the killers just kill her right there?"

"It's too much of a risk." Yume yawned. "The swimming pool's big, and the hot springs aren't. Besides, even if Monokuma takes care of both places, the hot springs makes it easier for Misaki to make her autopsy report."

Misaki jumped. "Y-you're still accusing me?!"

"I think we have been accusing you," Kyatchi answered, retorting at the woman. "You just noticed?"

"I-I'd never kill them though!" Misaki cried out, shaking her head. "You guys are crazy for accusing me!"

"Hey, calm down for a second there." Akio awkwardly laughed. "How about we calm down and try to finish this trial up?"

"You accuse me too though!" The surgeon claimed, pointing at the actor. "I'm telling you guys! I'm not the killer!"

"Hmm, not so sure about that, Ms. Autopsy Reporter." Kyatchi smirked, crossing his arms. "Can you even prove your innocence?"

"O-of course I can!" Misaki immediately turned to Masako. "We were with each other the entire time after dinner, right?"

Masako's eyes widened. She couldn't help but gulp, then quickly nodding her head. "Y-yeah, she's right!"

Akio bit into his lips, shaking his head. "Misaki, please, you're forcing her to speak for you. I think it's obvious you're lying."

"Of course I'm not!" Misaki threw the group a wide smile. "I'd never lie. Besides, we should focus on solving the entire case, huh?"

"The fuck's wrong with you?" Kyatchi eyed the surgeon strangely, but seeing no answer, he simply shrugged to himself and sighed. "Well then, I guess we should do that. What have we not discuss yet?"

Misaki raised her hand. "How about the flower petals? Isn't that pretty telling that Decebel did it?"

Yume frowned. "But, what Monokuma said-"

"He might be lying to us." The surgeon instantly cut the nihilist down. "Who knows? Monokuma might do that to trick us, remember?"

Masako was unable to do anything, only nodding her head in agreement. "Y-yeah, that's right! S-she has a point."

Shinjimae gulped. "I-I mean…"

"Misaki, please." Tomoyo threw the surgeon a shy look, sweat trickling down from her forehead. Droplets were already on her cheeks, falling to her chin. "Let's not try to interrupt anyone. Everyone's inputs are important here."

Misaki threw Tomoyo a look, but it wasn't that of betrayal now- now, it was that out of sheer want of ignorance and isolation. She simply eyed Tomoyo for a moment before turning to the group, smiling. "Let's talk about the flower petals then, shall we?"

"Yeah." Yume slowly nodded her head. "Sure, I don't care."

Watari frowned, thinking to himself. He noticed the complete look of melancholy on Tomoyo's face. He felt bad for her, surely, but he was more focused on this case itself. Misaki was asking a question, and he knew there had to be an answer.

He just had to think. He had to think in order to find an answer.

* * *

 **PSYCHE TAXI**

…

 **Question 1: Is there any purpose to the flower petals?**

 **A. There is no purpose.**

 **[B. There is a purpose.]**

 **C. I'm not sure.**

…

 **GOT IT!**

…

 **Question 2: What would the purpose be then?**

 **A. To instigate fear into the victim.**

 **[B. To follow through on something.]**

 **C. To throw off the Ultimates.**

…

 **GOT IT!**

…

 **Question 3: Is there anything similar that has been done in the past?**

 **[A. Yes, in both cases.]**

 **B. Yes, in one case.**

 **C. No, not at all.**

…

 **GOT IT!**

…

 **Watari:** _It was obvious!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Watari snapped his fingers, breaking the conversation that had been brought by Misaki and the others. It echoed into the air as everyone's heads turned to him, eyes staring down upon him. He looked over at them, then smirked, his confidence never ending. "I know why there were flower petals. It's quite obvious, really."

"What?" Misaki frowned, squinting her eyes. "Why, Ari? Why is it obvious?"

"Let's compare this case to the previous two cases." Watari threw his hands out, condescending. "What does each case have in common?"

"E-each case?" Shinjimae blinked, eyeing the detective. It only took a few seconds before his expression saddened. "H-Hitomu…"

"Oh." Watari's heart dropped. "Sorry about that, Shinji."

"N-no, I'm fine!" Shinjimae immediately forced himself to smile at Watari. "I-I'm here to, erm, t-try my best, after all. Y-you want t-to compare A-Ayako and Decebel's deaths to, erm, W-Wakana and Hitomu's?"

The detective nodded his head slowly, examining Shinjimae's expression in the meantime. "Yes, exactly."

Tomoyo frowned, lips pursed. "Well… for one, they're both quite gruesome in their own right."

"No shit, Sherlock." Kyatchi smirked. "Wakana literally had a flower stabbed into her, Hitomu's been nailed to the cross as if he was fucking Cat Jesus, and… oh. _Oh._ "

"Huh?" Akio whipped his head to the juggler. "What did you find?"

"I see now." The juggler frowned, looking over to Watari. "The answer you're looking for are symbolic deaths, aren't you?"

Watari whistled. "Yup, you got that right!" He then calmed down and frowned. "He's exactly right. They're gruesome, surely, but more than that how they died was similar to how a serial killer would murder them, correct?"

"Y-yeah." Masako nodded her head slowly. "I-it's as if one person was killing them…"

Misaki quickly threw her hands up. "Nope, I am not the one who did those. It wasn't me." She then raised a brow. "Wait, but Ayako and Decebel didn't die like that."

"But the flower petals are quite symbolic of Decebel, aren't they?" Watari chuckled. "Besides, they love to hang out in the garden quite often, right?"

The surgeon bit into her lips. "T-then what about Ayako? There's nothing relating to her at all!"

Tomoyo shook her head, breathing shakily. "It was most likely an accident. Most likely, I think there was something planned for her, but she was killed before that could happen."

"T-Tomoyo?" Masako's voice fell short, short to a meek whisper. "W-what are you saying?"

The screenwriter closed her eyes. A moment passed before a deep breath escaped her lips. It was a shaky breath, yet her expression told Masako otherwise. "I think I know how it happened. How Decebel and Ayako died."

"What?" Misaki blinked. "Please, are you telling me you really think of me as the killer?"

Tomoyo went silent again.

The surgeon shook her head, her own breaths becoming shaky. "My god, Tomoyo, you're being serious with me. You know this isn't funny." She bit into her lips. "You're joking, right? That I would do something like that?"

Kyatchi snorted. "I mean, it makes sense for a surgeon, right?"

If Kyatchi was near someone, he'd definitely get slapped. Watari knew Kyatchi was thankful he had Wakana and Kiyoko besides him instead.

"I…" Tomoyo held her breath. Her heart was throbbing, pained. "I don't want to think you're the killer. Seriously, I don't, but I desire the truth over everything, and that includes accusing you of being the one guilty!"

Misaki's face immediately went pale upon this, her ponytail almost swaying to her movement. She stared at Tomoyo blankly for a moment, then laughed, shaking her head. "But I'm not guilty! Are you crazy? You know I can't be the one who did it! It's all because of the autopsy report, right? It was a mistake! Can't people make mistakes?"

Masako was afraid. She was staring between Tomoyo and Misaki, unsure of what to do. She shook her head, almost in tears as she tightened her fists. "I-I'm sure Misaki has an explanation for all of this, Tomoyo! Please, j-just let her speak!"

"She already had her chances!" Tomoyo cried, gritting her teeth. "I know it hurts to hear it, but I'm confident: Misaki's the killer!"

Masako immediately shook her head. "N-no! That's wrong!"

"Yeah, of course that's wrong!" Misaki growled. "I would never kill Ayako or Decebel! Doing such a thing is just… it's just crazy! What reason would I have for killing them anyways?"

"You had reason to kill Ayako!" Tomoyo immediately pointed her finger, straight at the surgeon. "She was your target, and that's why you targeted her!"

"No! She's not my target!" The surgeon slammed her fists down. "You're being dumb right now! Stop spewing such nonsense!"

The screenwriter shook her head. "You wanted Decebel to help you kill Ayako, right? They would've listened to you because they wanted you to leave freely!"

"No, that's wrong!" Misaki shook her head continuously. "That's wrong and you know it!"

Tomoyo was breathless, panting and heart aching. She hated seeing Misaki like this. She wanted to avoid seeing this as much as possible, yet she knew she had no choice. She had to find and pursue the truth, and this was it- this was the truth.

She had to do this, all to save herself and the others.

* * *

 **ARGUMENT ARMAMENT**

 **Misaki:** I can't believe you would accuse me like this!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** You can't just turn on me like that!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** I would never kill them, especially in such a gruesome fashion!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** Are you just accusing me because I'm a surgeon? Is that it?!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** It's stupid for you to accuse me!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** I'm innocent! I swear on it!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** B-besides, how are you all so sure it's me and not someone else?!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** What would I know about Kyatchi and Yume's plan?!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** I know nothing about tasers, anything!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** What, just because I searched the warehouse with Blaise and Yume?!

|BREAK!|

 **Misaki:** You already know that's not right!

 **FINAL BLOW**

 **Misaki:** Decebel and I wouldn't even have known about the boxes' location anyways! So I'm innocent, especially if Decebel doesn't know about the tasers themselves!

 **DECEBEL | ALWAYS | CLEANS AROUND | THE SCHOOL**

 **Tomoyo:** I'm sorry, but this is the answer!

 **Answer:** _ **Decebel always cleans around the school.**_

 **Misaki:** W-what? That can't be!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"You're wrong, and you know it!" Tomoyo screamed, forcing herself to be as assertive as possible. She was entirely red from embarrassment and fear, her head spinning. "This might seem small, but it's really important! Decebel always clean around the school, so if Kyatchi and Yume placed the boxes in the dumpster room, they would've definitely seen it! They don't discriminate against where and what to clean!"

"W-what? There's no way…" Misaki shook her head, completely baffled and denying everything thrown at her. "T-there's no way! Besides, wouldn't they just put those boxes back in the warehouse?!"

"No, they wouldn't. They would've known something was to be done with them, and considering the weapons were in the dumpster room… they would've either assumed that, or they were looking for the weapons because you couldn't find them yourself!" Tomoyo gritted her teeth. "Just give up already, please. We already know you're the killer."

"N-no!" Misaki violently shook her head. "I'm not the one who killed them! It wasn't me!"

Masako immediately jumped from her seat, running over to Misaki. She grabbed ahold of her shoulders and turned to Tomoyo, eyebrows completely furrowed and nose wrinkled. "C-can you please stop it already? You're going too far!"

"W-what?" Tomoyo was taken aback, shocked. "Masako, you already know it yourself! Misaki's guilty-"

"She's not!" Masako was shaking, trembling. "S-she's not, and I-I know it!"

"Why?" Tomoyo's voice fell. "Why do you think that? Why are you saying that?"

The survivalist gritted her teeth. She couldn't take it any longer, screaming, "B-because I know it! She's my friend, and friends trust each other!"

Tomoyo completely broke down, unable to hold her composure any longer. Those words were daggers to her heart, and her heart had completely been stabbed into oblivion. It made her legs shake, and she would then fall, sobbing loudly.

Watari had been silent the entire time, eyeing Tomoyo. He honestly couldn't find it in himself to sympathize, but he did feel bad, somehow, some way. His heart throbbed for some reason, and he couldn't help but worry. "Moe, you look like a mess," he began, finding himself unintentionally teasing her. "It's easy to make her confess, you just have to-"

"Watari, please, shut it."

Watari's face fell, and he immediately went silent. He instantly regretted even trying, only turning to eye Yume who threw him a glare.

"I think she can handle herself," the nihilist spoke, softly. She had her arms crossed, eyes averted to the side. "It's… it's not our place to intervene."

And Watari would stay silent, not understanding what Yume meant, but listening to her regardless.

It took minutes for Tomoyo to stand back up, wiping the tears off of her eyes. She was sniffling, a mess, but she forced herself back to her seat and to point at Misaki- the surgeon who was being defended by Masako. It pained her, but her finger pointed straight nonetheless. "I-I'm sorry, but you're the killer. Please, just admit it already."

Misaki shook her head, crying into Masako's back. "B-but I'm not the killer! Y-you have to believe me!"

Tomoyo held her breath. The surgeon was stubborn, and Tomoyo knew she was not going to confess. "I-if you're not going to confess, then I'll explain to everyone what happened."

"I didn't do it!" Misaki sobbed. Her arms around Masako tightened. "I-it wasn't me!"

Tomoyo averted her gaze, forcing herself to harden her expression. "... I'll explain what happened, and hopefully that'll make you confess."

Everyone was silent. Only tears and sobbing were to be heard.

* * *

 **CLOSING ARGUMENT**

… The motive was that if you killed your target under a certain time limit, you would get to escape without a class trial. It was definitely something tempting, but we all thought it wouldn't get to us… it wouldn't, except for the killer.

The killer was tempted by this motive. Besides, it wasn't like their target was somebody like Decebel. In fact, it was the contrary: Ayako Aoki, the Ultimate Lolita Fashion Model. She was somebody widely disliked by us all, and it would make her think: why not kill her? It's not like anyone would miss her.

This settled in the killer's mind, and thus they began to work. They, first of all, asked Decebel. Since Decebel was someone who was kind enough to do anything asked of them, they easily agreed to the killer. The killer was not worried Decebel would tattletale to the others- after all, Decebel was loyal, something common for a butler, especially of the Ultimate Butler.

While the killer and Decebel was setting up a plan to murder Ayako, Kyatchi and Yume had plans of their own. Yume most likely told Kyatchi about the weapons inside of the warehouse, and, worried about our safety and the idea that a murder can occur, he asked Yume for help to transfer the boxes to the dumpster room. They would hide the boxes there, and Yume counted the weapons they had in the boxes. They would leave, and nobody would be able to find them…

… Well, nobody would've found them if it weren't for the killer and Decebel. The killer most likely wanted to use the weapons inside of the boxes, but found them missing when they went to the warehouse. They would've then looked for it, and, with the help of Decebel, they would find them inside of the dumpster room. This easily solved their problem, and now they had to choose their weapons.

Well, I don't think it would take that long before they decided. They knew that Ayako was most likely going to the swimming pool and hot springs. Whether by eavesdropping, tailing Ayako for a while, or educated guessing from how Ayako and Blaise always interacted, they decided to use the tasers. Decebel would use one, and the killer would use one. Why is this? Most likely precaution, but it would prove its use in the end…

And so, the plan was set in motion. It was most likely after dinner that everything was in motion. Decebel had to clean the dishes, of course, so that was most likely why Ayako was able to take a swim in the pool beforehand. Other than that, the killer most likely tailed Ayako during the entire sequence, then texting Decebel or talking to them about where she was. They would then go to the building, and then wait as Ayako moved out from the pool and to the hot springs. Now, their plan was set.

When Ayako was in the hot springs, everything went loose. Decebel was ordered to restrain her, most likely, so that the killer could have the last stab. However, the unprecedented happen- during the shuffle between Ayako and Decebel, Decebel accidentally snapped her neck, instantly killing her. This definitely ruined the killer's plan, and most likely enraged the killer.

Of course, Decebel would profusely apologize, but the killer most likely told them that the plan was still set in motion. Decebel would've been confused, of course, but would follow through with the plan, deciding to obey the killer and place the taser over Ayako's left hand, wrapping it to make it so that she had planned a murder or wanted to defend herself.

Poor Decebel was not aware of what was happening- that the killer was orchestrating a murder with Decebel involved in it. Before Decebel could even understand what was going on, the killer used their own taser to electrocute both Decebel and Ayako, instantly burning and frying their bodies. It was an instant death for Decebel, and an extra injury to Ayako's corpse. They were now dead, and the killer…

… the killer, for some reason, wanted to make the deaths symbolic to the first and second case. Although to them, Ayako's murder was too hard to come up with something symbolic for, they were able to whip up something for Decebel- the use of flower petals. They had most likely gone out to the garden to pick up some flower petals, simply to spite and copy the other cases. Why? I'm still unsure of this myself… We are all, honestly.

Nonetheless, the killer… the killer is definitely you, the one who tried to mislead us: Misaki Ueda, Ultimate Surgeon!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"N-no!" Misaki immediately shook her head, crying into Masako. "T-that can't be! That's wrong! Y-you're wrong!"

"No, it's true!" Tomoyo's voice was strained. "You know it's true, and it makes sense! There's no one it could be the murderer except for you!"

"That's wrong!" The surgeon was sobbing, a complete and utter mess. She was curled into a ball, only having Masako's rubs to comfort her. "I-I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

"P-poor Misaki…" Shinjimae gulped, unable to do anything but pity Misaki. His entire face was riddled with tears, Saki immediately making her way over to the surgeon.

Kyatchi was unfazed, simply shrugging and looking over to Tomoyo. "Well, it seems like we got her down real good, huh?"

"Oh my god." Akio threw the juggler a look, instantly angered after Tomoyo's face paled. "Have some common decency, please."

Tomoyo was silent, completely pale.

Watari eyed the Ultimates for a moment, then slowly turning around to eye Monokuma. The bear was simply staring at them, watching them with an amused gaze. "Hey." The detective instantly grabbed his attention. "Can we vote?"

The screenwriter abruptly jumped. "V-vote?!"

"No!" Misaki shook her head, head suddenly whipped to Monokuma. "Please! I-I didn't want this! I-I just wanted to get out of here! I-it's scary being in here, a-and I thought Decebel was going to kill me! I-I got caught in the moment and I-! I-!"

"Y-you don't need to speak!" Masako immediately threw her arms around Misaki's head, protecting her underneath her warmth. She couldn't care less about Saki who was now near their side, nuzzling herself against them. "I-if anyone should die, i-it should be me!"

"You?!" Shinjimae's voice fell to a sharp cry. "W-why would you say that?!"

"I-I don't care!" Masako screamed. "I-I don't want Misaki to die! S-she's my best friend! I don't want to lose her!"

Tomoyo's face fell. "I… I'm sorry-"

"J-just be quiet already!" Masako cried, sobbing. "Y-you're her friend too! H-how could you do something like this?!"

"N-no! I do care about her, but… but…" Tomoyo's face fell. She was at a loss for words. She had no excuse.

Watari shook his head, unable to take it any longer. He turned to Monokuma. "Let's vote, please."

"That's not how you solve things!" Misaki screamed, glaring at the detective. "Please! D-don't make us vote! I don't want to die!"

Monokuma thought for a moment, silent. He was rubbing his nonexistent chin, silent in contemplation. That state, however, took only a few seconds before his high-pitched laugh came. "Upupupupu! I see why not, honestly. Sure, we can have you guys vote now!"

Misaki broke into hysteria, screaming.

* * *

 **VOTING TIME**

 **CHOOSE THE BLACKENED OF THIS CASE!**

Akio 'Blaise' Fukui

Yume Hamasaki

-Hitomu Mizushima-

-Ayako Aoki-

-Blanchard/Viorel Decebel-

Tomoyo Ikeda

Watari Irino

Masako Shinohara

Shinjimae 'Shinji' Akahoshi

-Wakane Takane-

Kyatchi Sesshoku

-Kiyoko Yamagiri-

-Keishi Kari-

 **Misaki Ueda**

* * *

The votes were in. It was obvious, given Monokuma's smirk. What was not obvious, however, was the fact that Misaki and Masako were still there, on the ground, sobbing and hugging each other. They didn't vote.

They didn't vote, however it didn't seem like Monokuma cared. His entire mind was focused on revealing the results, paw raised as he screamed, "Alright! Let's see if you shitbags are right!"

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Misaki Ueda:** 6 Votes

 **Abstention:** 2 Votes

 **Answer:** Misaki Ueda

 **RIGHT!**

* * *

"Wow, now look at that!" Monokuma's smile widened. "It looks like you guys were right, yet again! Of course, two people didn't vote, but the votes wouldn't have been altered anyways, right?"

"Oh god." Kyatchi gritted his teeth. "I forgot we had to vote on the blackened's fate, huh?"

"No!" Misaki immediately began to plead. "Please! I don't want to die! A-all I wanted was to escape! That was all!"

Akio was unable to do anything, only eyeing Misaki who was on her knees and begging, begging like a poor, poor broken person. "Misaki…"

"I-I didn't even want to kill Decebel! I-I just wanted to kill Ayako!" The surgeon was wheezing, hyperventilating. "Besides, t-the flower petals! Y-you know about them, right?! I-I didn't even want to do something like that! I-"

"Oops, too much to reveal. Shut up for a bit, Misaki."

And within seconds, a tranquilizer was shot into Misaki's neck. The damn bear had a slingshot in his paws, and he had somehow shot it perfectly. Misaki went immediately limp, falling to the ground.

"M-Misaki!" Masako grabbed onto the woman. "Hey, Misaki!"

"It's okay," Monokuma began, smirking, "Misa will be able to move and whine about when her execution comes. It's just for these few minutes, I swear."

"You're sick!" Akio growled. '

The bear rolled his eyes. "You always say that, Aki. Now look over to your fucking screens and vote! Giving you three seconds, go!"

Watari gritted his teeth and looked to the screen. He had no time to waste.

* * *

 **VOTING TIME**

 **CHOOSE THE BLACKENED'S FATE!**

 **Red**

White

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Red -** 4 Votes

 **White -** 2 Votes

 **RED IS THE WINNER!**

* * *

Monokuma eyed the screen, simply smirking at what he saw. "Well, it looks like red won. You guys really like switching back and forth between colors."

"You didn't even give us time to choose!" Akio whined.

"Ah, just shut it." Monokuma then turned to look at Masako, smirking as she cowered beneath him. "You really don't want to vote, huh?"

"O-of course not!" Masako gritted her teeth. "P-please don't kill Misaki! I-if anything, you should execute me!"

"Now, why would I do that?" Monokuma smirked. "I'm playing fair here. I hate executing people like you, after all. I only execute those who deserve it."

The survivalist's face dropped. "B-but-!"

Tomoyo wanted to say something. She was still in her seat, unable to process anything- not even her own tears. She didn't even process the moment she looked at Masako, not even registering that look of complete and utter betrayal Masako threw at her.

Though, rather than a lack of knowing, it was ignorance.

The bear threw his paws up. "Alright, let's just say fuck it and get on with the execution! Three, two, and one! There we go!"

The gavel fell.

* * *

 **GAME OVER**

 **Misaki Ueda has been found guilty.**

* * *

 **EXECUTION START!**

 **Red Room - A Heist**

* * *

Misaki's unconscious body fell straight, straight down from the air. The collar around her had been removed, and so her body fell all the way down in the middle of an alleyway. A dark, dark alleyway.

She was still unconscious, yet the sound of police sirens jolted her body awake. Her eyes snapped open, ponytail slightly swaying to the wind. She looked left. Then right. Then, upon realizing where she was, she began to sob, to cry.

"N-no! No, no, nonono… I don't want to die! I don't want to die-!"

She already knew where she was. She was sobbing and was unable to control herself, curling into a ball. The sirens became louder and louder. Her ears were ringing, and she immediately threw her hands over her ears. She thought it would work. To block out everything around her- it should've worked until-

"Hey! Put your hands in the air!"

Monokumas were in police uniforms. They were pointing guns at her, flashing lights at her. Was she some criminal? Only she knew, and she already knew the answer.

She quickly went to her feet, and she almost tripped and stumbled over herself. She looked at the Monokumas for a moment before running, charging down the alleyway.

"Hey! Get back here, criminal! We need backup!"

She gasped and panted. Adrenaline was running through her veins. Her heart was throbbing, aching and screaming at her. Her stomach screamed and her lungs were going to die on her.

No, she had to keep on running. She didn't want to die, and she didn't want to be caught.

She ran through the alleyways. She turned left and she turned right. She ran straight, then ran to the curve and continued to run and run and run just to chase those policemen off of her.

When will it end? When will she be saved?

She didn't know, and she thought she was going to die when those gunshots sounded off. They were going to shoot her, and she didn't want to die. No, not like this. She can't die.

She ran and ran and ran, and when she thought she saw a brick wall, there was a door. It was a simple, simple door that was gray and quite dirty. It seemed to be slightly torn and broken up, but Misaki couldn't give a damn about it.

She charged straight into the door and closed it behind her. She barricaded herself against the door, closing her teary eyes shut as she heard the screams of the policemen, crying her name out and looking for her. Gunshots and sirens continued to rise into the air, echoing into her head.

Seconds passed. Minutes passed.

Finally, silence.

Misaki released a long sigh, crying out in relief as she fell to the ground.

The ground, which, somehow, fell upon her.

Misaki screamed, falling straight, straight down into the darkness. She kept on falling. Falling, falling, falling until she saw light- it was a light that was beginning to blind her, and before the teary-eyed woman could say something, she suddenly found herself restrained.

She was restrained to an examination table. Her hands and feet were spread out, restrained. She began to struggle, screaming and crying for help.

No help arrived. Only pain.

She had no idea what happened, only registering gloved hands in the air which began to hurt her, to torture her.

All sorts of devices began its work on her. She felt syringes pricking her neck dozens of times. Her body would spasm, her eyeballs would roll back, her body would contort, her breathing would shallow and hitch… Everything began to happen to her, and it took almost hours before she even registered the lack of blood in her system from all the coughing, vomiting, and bleeding that was happening to her.

She was a bloody mess, and she knew it. She couldn't even manage a cry- the blood was blocking her airway system, blocking her ability to breathe. She was going to suffocate, and her eyeballs were already red, unable to see anything.

Those tears of hers eventually became blood, and even when she wanted to scream for help-

-it was a choked cough, for only blood spewed out from her emptied out shell of a body.

* * *

Everything was a nightmare. Everything was a nightmare and Watari knew it, his body paling up from the sight at what he saw.

Misaki Ueda, someone who always came up to talk to him and treat him sweetly, was now dead- she had been tortured, tortured without any actual purpose to it. It was all for fun, and for show.

"Ugh! T-this is too much for me! I-I-I-I can't! I can't take this anymore!" And Shinjimae would immediately run over to the corner of the courtroom, throwing up.

"What in the fuck was that?!" Akio screamed, pointing at the execution room. "That's sick! Why the fuck would you do something like that?!"

"Executions are executions," Monokuma dryly remarked, rolling his eyes. "You can't judge."

The brunette gritted his teeth, hands clenched into fists. "You're so fucking sick! I can't believe you would do something like this! T-to Misaki!"

Tomoyo was trembling, unable to say anything. She simply took a step back from her chair before tripping over her own two feet, falling to the ground. Her entire face was white. It was obvious what she was feeling right now- and that was immense, immense guilt. "I… I…"

"I hate you!" Masako was screaming, pointing at Monokuma. "Why would you do this to her?! Why?!"

"M-Masako!" Kyatchi found himself having to run to the survivalist, grabbing hold of her arms and pulling her back. "Stop it! You're just going to hurt yourself if you try to attack him!"

"I-I don't care! Just let me go!" Masako's eyes were red. She was struggling, screaming and forcing herself to move, kicking and throwing her fists. "Let me go!"

Yume was silent. She was unable to do anything, only watching Kyatchi who was forcing Masako back. The nihilist couldn't help but stay silent, only looking over to Monokuma with a disgusted glare.

"I…" Shinjimae was shaking his head, having to be licked by Saki in order to calm himself. "T-this is too much f-for me…"

"You guys are so cute!" Monokuma squealed, eyeing the group with an amused grin. "You guys are just bitching and moaning over there! It makes me so happy to see how hopeless you guys are!"

"You're sick!" Akio stepped forward. "You're lucky you're not down here right now!"

"What, you want to smash your fist into me?" Monokuma tilted his head innocently. "That hurts me, Aki."

"Shut up!" The actor growled. "You're so full of shit!"

"Well, here we go again with the insults." The bear scratched the back of his ear. "Ahem, well then, since you guys seem to be crying right now, I'll leave you all be." He smiled and stood up from his seat. "I'll see you all next time! So, for now, farewell!"

And it didn't even take a second for Monokuma to disappear.

It was unfair. It was just unfair.

Monokuma was able to disappear from their lives, but he was able to come back again to ruin their little sense of freedom.

It was just so unfair.

Silence escaped the room.

Though, it wasn't exactly silence.

It was despair. Sobs and tears were emitting from everywhere inside of the courtroom.

Not only sadness, but a mixture of anger and hatred.

And sadly enough, even something like that was obvious.

* * *

... And we are at the end of the trial! It took a while for me to get this chapter out, so I only have my redo to thank and the fact that redoing this chapter motivated me to write this all! Anyways, everything's just going to go downhill from me considering what happens, so I'll leave that to the next part to finish up this chapter!

Until then, I will see you all next time (which should be soon, cause woo aftermath chapters)!

Here are the promotions:

 **Danganronpa: Blood Sport** (tobi-is-an-artist-too)

 **Danganronpa: Last Hurrah!** (mandipokemon)

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** (Heroi Oscura)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** (Prince PokePersona)

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** (RioA)

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** (SanityRequiem)


	29. Chapter 3 - Part 2, Part D

Haha, since aftermath chapters are short, you already have one here! It's not too long, but hopefully you enjoy!

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "YES, SO MANY TEARS! I'M CRYING. Aww, thanks so much! Yes, she is a precious child. Please protect her."

* * *

Those tears were never going to end. Those sons were never going to end. Nothing was going to end, for time would only go on, leaving them behind in the dust to stand up and try to catch up.

Maybe it would've been better if time had stopped. If there was a mechanism to freeze time, then that would be greatly desired.

For, right now, all Watari could see around him were tears, sobbing. Those expressions of pure tragedy, pure sadness… It was too painful to witness, and the detective had no idea what to feel about any of this.

Especially towards Masako and Tomoyo. One can argue that it was Misaki that brought them together, causing them to form a trio- an almost unbreakable bond. That bond broke, and suddenly that godlike status of Misaki's fell to that of a normal, normal human being. One would've hoped for her to overtop everything and be declared as innocent. One would hope that she would've been brave and stand strong until death, yet she was only human.

She was only human, and it seemed like the two women finally understood that.

"Monokuma's gone, so you can chill, alright?" Kyatchi had finally released his hold on Masako. That didn't relieve him of anything for when he released her, she immediately fell to the ground. "Oi!"

"T-this isn't fair," Masako wheezed, out of breath. "T-this isn't fair… It's not fair at all…!"

Tomoyo gulped. She finally regained back her consciousness, her eyebrows furrowed as she worriedly looked at the survivalist. "M-Masako-"

"Stop! Don't talk to me!" Masako glared at the woman, teary eyes drowning her freckled face. "T-this is all your fault! I-it's all your fault!"

Kyatchi's eyes widened. The woman stood up, ignoring the juggler from behind whom she almost smashed her head into. He was unable to say anything as a brush of wind blew past him. "Oh my god- Woah, woah, woah! Masako!"

Akio gritted his teeth and stepped forward. "Hey! Masako, stop!"

Masako was suddenly at Tomoyo's proximity, her shaky hands gripped onto the woman's shoulders. The survivalist was staring, glaring into the screenwriter's eyes, having almost shoved her into the wall. "E-everything! Everything was your fault!"

Tears were running down her cheeks. Tomoyo breathed heavily. She just couldn't help but lose her composure, shaking her head and crying, "I'm sorry! I had no choice!"

"W-what do you mean you had no choice?! You had plenty of reason to not accuse her!" Masako was wildly shaking Tomoyo, her grip tight. "S-she was our friend! A-and you just accused her and left her for the dogs! God! You're the same as everyone else back home!"

"No, I really didn't want her to die!" Tomoyo cried, trembling. "It was either us or her! I-I wanted to deny it so badly, but the facts were there! I can't just ignore them!"

"Y-you're just like Watari!" Masako screamed. She didn't even realize that the screenwriter froze, not caring at all as she continued to shake. "Y-you don't care about the others as long as you stand up as the hero of everything! I-instead of trying to protect Misaki, you just accused her like you were the stupid protagonist of a story or something! Just shut it already! You could've let Watari do it! H-he's the Ultimate Detective for a reason!"

Tomoyo's breaths began to shallow, becoming quicker. Her entire face was pale, lips pursed as she began to quiver. "I-I was just trying to help everyone… If we didn't find the killer, then…"

"Stop saying that! Y-you knew you could've just said nothing!" Masako was hyperventilating now, shaking her head and laughing. "I-I-I just don't know anymore, okay? I-I can't even begin to trust you anymore."

The screenwriter's eyes widened. "No, Masako, please, I-"

"I-it's over between us." Masako's grip on Tomoyo loosened. It was silent, and she took a step back. "I… I don't know about you, but right there it just looked like you wanted to compete with Watari in accusing Misaki first."

"Hey." Watari immediately took a step forward, staring at the survivalist. His arms were crossed, and his expression was far from playful. "You know that's not true."

Masako stared at him for a moment, then shook her head and looked back to Tomoyo. "... At least you have someone who cares about you."

Tomoyo was shaking her head, yet averted her gaze, unable to say anything with her stuffy nose and choked sobs.

"Masako, just stop it already." The detective bit into his lips. "I've been watching over the sidelines, and I think it's obvious you said too much."

"S-said too much, huh?" Masako's expression darkened. She glanced to the side, then bit into her lips. "Now, t-that's just hypocritical of you. You've been harassing people ever since we've met."

Watari's eyes widened. He couldn't counter the woman's words at all. "Yeah, so what? At least I haven't broken my own friend down into tears."

"... Y-you did that to Shinji, remember?" Masako frowned. "You mocked Hitomu, someone Shinji was deeply attached to."

Watari flinched. He couldn't counter that either. "I… Well, at least I'm not pathetic enough to compare others, like you're doing."

Masako's expression was immediately filled with hurt. "Y-you're just so unaware of yourself sometimes, you know? I-... Forget it. I-it's not worth the time." She smiled softly, painfully. "Y-you wouldn't know what it's like to lose someone you actually cared for and loved."

Watari immediately felt betrayed by those words. He felt anger, disgust. He should've kept his composure, he knew, but somehow those words stung him more than a dagger would through his heart. "Are you kidding me? You don't even know anything about me! I…"

The detective felt someone grabbing ahold of his shoulder. He looked back, finding Tomoyo shaking her head at him, mouthing, "Please don't."

 _Shit._ Watari forced his words back. His body was shaking, trembling. He noticed Masako staring at him, and she was turning away, moving to where everyone else weren't. _I need to apologize to her. I-_

"How are you?"

Everyone immediately went up to Tomoyo, comforting her. Akio was busy asking the woman if she was okay, and Kyatchi and Yume were awkward as they stood by her. Shinjimae and Saki were comforting her as well, and it was obvious they wanted to comfort Masako- they can't, for they knew she would shove them aside. Everyone was throwing Tomoyo sweet words of comfort, yet all the woman could do was force a smile and nod her head.

Watari went silent. He watched everybody crowd around Tomoyo. He didn't know what to say- he was unable to provide support, after all. He turned to eye Masako, but she was curled up in a ball, separated from society. She refused to interact, and Watari found himself afraid to talk to her.

 _God, this is a mess._ The detective frowned. _I can't even bring myself to apologize to her… God, Tadaomi, I'm so stupid right now. I'm letting my own feelings get to me again. What… What would you do right now?_

But he knew he wasn't going to be answered. Even if his brother was home, resting and watching over their parents, Watari knew the active older brother was not going to answer him. Tadaomi was just not going to answer him, and Watari knew he had to come up with answers himself.

 _I want to cry._ And honestly, he really did. Everything was going haywire and he wasn't contributing anything to stop it from happening. He was only continuing the fire, and he hated it. He hated it so much, almost as much as he hated himself. He just wanted to curl himself up in his blankets and be forgotten for how useless he was- he wanted his older brother to comfort him again, as always.

Maybe Tadaomi would've been able to mend the situation between Tomoyo and Masako. Maybe Tadaomi would've been able to solve their dispute.

No, he was sure Tadaomi would've been able to do it.

Tadaomi would've been able to do it, and he'd be able to hold onto Watari in the process, comforting him like he always did.

* * *

" _Hey there, squirt!" A young Tadaomi grinned excitedly as he saw a young version of Watari entering into the room, the door closing behind him. The toddler looked over to the dark redhead before smiling widely, causing the teenager to walk over and pick him up. "And here we go! Gosh, you're always here after school! Shouldn't you be doing your homework?"_

" _I like hanging out with you!" the toddler exclaimed, laughing as Tadaomi threw him over his back. "Mom and Dad are always busy with work, and you're usually here late, sooo I think it's a smart idea for me to stay here with you!"_

" _Watari, you're such a cutie sometimes, y'know?" Tadaomi chuckled as he ran around the room in circles, causing his brother to laugh and giggle. "How are you? I heard you want to form a detective club or something."_

" _Yup!" Watari bobbed his head. "I want to make a club for detectives like us! We'll be able to save the world that way."_

" _Geez, we're not superheroes, Watari." Tadaomi stopped in his tracks. "How's progress going along though?"_

" _Uh… I…" Watari buried his face into Tadaomi's shirt, suddenly finding himself worried and anxious. "Mm, I don't know if I can find anyone to join the club. I-I'm scared to talk to anyone."_

" _Aww, Watari." Tadaomi slowly brought Watari down, then urging him to take a seat. The older brother sat down first before throwing his younger brother to his lap. "You really need to learn to speak up more. You're a bright child, you know that? It's a shame no one knows how smart and kind you are- you're just too shy to talk to them, and so they don't talk to you in return because they think you're just quiet."_

" _I'm not friends with anyone though," the raven mumbled. "I only talk to Tsubomi, but only to greet her…"_

" _Yeah, I know. You're just a socially awkward little one." Tadaomi ruffled Watari's hair with ease, smiling sweetly. "It might be scary, but it's worth trying. Just try to talk to people. Say hi and ask some questions- simple questions. They'll answer you, and hopefully they'll begin to talk to you more. You just have to take the first step."_

 _Watari blinked. "Is it really that simple?"_

" _Of course it is." Tadaomi easily embraced the little boy. "If you need help, I'll definitely come. Just give me a holler, okay?"_

 _The raven would then smile, easily excited. "Okay! Thanks!"_

* * *

That warmth of his had disappeared. Watari felt nothing but cold inside, and he wasn't even sure if it was because of the tense atmosphere inside the courtroom. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. He honestly didn't know.

Akio and Shinjimae were still trying to reach Tomoyo. Kyatchi and Yume seemed to have quit, though their eyes continued to stay on the screenwriter, and to the survivalist.

"This is such a mess," Yume murmured, groaning under her breath. "I hate this."

"So, you want to die? Great!" Kyatchi clapped his hands together. "I'll die with you. Help me out here, Yume."

The nihilist groaned. "No. No thank you."

Watari sighed, biting into his lips. He has no idea what to do now, unable to move or even say anything. He couldn't even respond when the floor began to fall, causing everyone to scream and tumble about until they were back, back in the building.

Although everyone was baffled and shocked by what had happened, Watari was still silent. He could hear everyone groaning in pain, but more than that he can still hear those words of comfort which didn't reach Tomoyo's ears. A tragedy. It was truly a tragedy.

"Hey, Tomoyo, are you okay?" Akio forced himself to his feet, reaching a hand out. He threw a smile at the woman, but she looked away and bit into her lips.

"... I can take care of myself. I'll… I'll head off to sleep now." Tomoyo looked away from the actor and moved up, standing. She brushed the dust off of her clothes before leaving, not even giving a glance to Akio and the others.

"P-poor Tomoyo…" Shinjimae was holding tightly onto Saki, breath shaky. "D-do you think she'll, erm, b-be alright?"

Akio sighed, scratching his head. "Well…" He then looked over to Masako who was silent, slowly making her way outside the room herself. No one was able to say anything to her- not to Tomoyo, not to her. A longer sigh escaped his lips. "... let's hope so."

Kyatchi stretched his arms out, yawning loudly. "Well, that was truly something. God, I'm tired."

"Are you going to sleep then?" Akio asked.

The juggler nodded. "Yup, going to take my beauty sleep. Even I have had enough of this despair for one day."

Shinjimae forced himself to form a small smile. "H-hope you have a good sleep then."

The taller man stared at Shinjimae for a moment, then smirked and waved. "Yeah, good night then." And without saying anything else, the juggler left the room.

Akio heaved another long sigh, then looking over to Yume. "How are you feeling?" he asked, unsure of where to start.

"Good?" Yume then frowned. "Not really, I feel bad."

The actor smiled softly. "Yeah, same… I don't know what to do anymore, honestly. Tomoyo and Masako…"

"I-I'm sure they'll be, erm, a-able to make up!" Shinjimae immediately jumped into a cheerful exterior, forcing a grin. "W-we just need to believe in them!"

Yume sighed. "Yeah, if they do, that'd be a miracle."

Shinjimae's expression saddened, but he didn't let it overwhelm him. The animal whisperer simply kept up his smile instead and nodded.

"I…" Akio shook his head, pursing his lips. "I think we should all rest up and go to sleep. We still have tomorrow to worry about."

The animal whisperer's doe eyes began to widen. "B-but what, uh, a-are we going to, erm, d-do about Tomoyo and M-Masako?"

"We'll figure that out tomorrow," Akio answered, bringing a hand over to ruffle the shorter man's hair. "You guys deserve to rest."

The animal whisperer blushed underneath the actor's touch, but nodded his head. "Y-yeah, erm, I-I guess you have a point."

Yume simply watched the duo with an unfazed gaze. "... I guess I'll head out now."

Akio smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah, of course. Good night."

Yume left the room without giving Akio a wave or another glance. Now, only Akio, Shinjimae, and Watari were left.

Akio looked over to Shinjimae for a moment, then over to Watari. A worried expression escaped his face. "Are you alright? You didn't look good a while back."

Watari immediately looked away. "I'm fine."

"You sure?" The actor threw Watari a suspicious glance, but sighed and forfeited. He knew the detective was not going to say anything, so he simply stayed silent and pointed over to the door, eyes focused on Shinjimae. "I'll head out now. If you need anything, feel free to send me a message, alright?"

Shinjimae eyed the actor for a moment, then smiling and nodding his head. "A-alright! Erm, t-thank you so much."

Akio threw the man a thumbs up. He smiled softly at the animal whisperer, then walked out of the room. The door was left open.

Now, Watari and Shinjimae was left alone.

"Erm…" Shinjimae was eyeing the detective, nervous. Saki was by his side, nuzzling against him for support. The animal whisperer thought for a moment, then opening his mouth and softly saying, "I-if you're b-bothered about anything, p-please don't hesitate to tell me."

"I'm not bothered about anything, sweetie." Watari relaxed around the animal whisperer, eyeing him with a curious glance. He threw the man a playful smirk as he mused, "You worry about the silliest little things."

"A-are you sure? I-I'm, erm, w-worried about you still." Shinjimae awkwardly smiled and scratched the back of his head. "I-if it's about, erm, M-Masako and Tomoyo, then…"

"It's nothing, really." Watari sighed. He then noticed the slight sadness in Shinjimae's eyes, and he couldn't help but shake his head. "Are you worried about them?"

"Y-yeah, I am." Shinjimae pursed his lips. "T-they're friends, b-but Misaki died… Erm, a-and their fight made t-things so tense, and t-they look mad at each other…"

"Ah, right." The detective crossed his arms. "Yeah, I'm confident those two won't talk to each other anytime soon."

"T-that's so sad though." The animal whisperer frowned. "I-it's not right. Erm, I, uh, want to h-help them!"

"I'm sure that's what everyone feels, cutie." Watari smiled softly. "I'm sure everyone feels that way, so you're not the only one here."

"Y-yeah, true!" Shinjimae forced a smile. Saki barked happily in response. "I-I want to help them. I-I'm sure they just w-want the, uh, the other to apologize… T-they're stubborn and afraid, s-so I want to help them re… reconcile!"

Watari's face brightened at this statement. He couldn't help but remember Tadaomi, especially with how his older brother always tried to help dissolve disputes and handle arguments. _He's such an amazing brother. He'd be able to break up their fight. I… I can't even do anything._

Shinjimae grabbed ahold of Watari's hands. "I-I'll do my best to help them. Erm, I-I can assure you that."

The detective's eyes widened as he looked over to Shinjimae's hands. They were warm on his own cold hands, and his cheeks turned red. "Geez, you're a motivated one, huh?"

Shinjimae blushed in return and threw his arms around Watari, suddenly tightening his embrace around him. "Y-you really inspire me, y-you know?"

Watari's heart was throbbing, pounding. He couldn't help but feel flustered, crying out a soft, "Huh?"

"I-I really thought I, erm, l-lost it all when K-Keishi and Hitomu died," the animal whisperer began, nuzzling himself against Watari's head. "I-I'm so happy to have you w-with me."

"Shinji, you're so embarrassing," Watari mumbled, his entire face red. He forced himself to smirk at the man, all an attempt to hide his embarrassment. "Geez, what's with the sudden affection, sweetheart?"

Shinjimae giggled, slowly releasing his embrace on the detective. "J-just thinking about n-not being able to, erm, reconcile with you… I-it makes me r-really, erm, w-worried for Tomoyo and Masako. I-I want, uh, n-nothing more than for, erm, t-them to get along again."

"Ah… yeah." Watari slowly nodded his head. He wasn't sure what to say, only nodding his head and staring at the animal whisperer.

"Erm… hehe, I-I guess I'll go to sleep now." Shinjimae slowly moved towards the door. "I-I'll see you tomorrow, Watari."

Watari nodded, waving at Shinjimae before looking down to Saki who nuzzled herself against his leg. The detective sighed, scratching his head as Saki ran back to Shinjimae, the duo together now leaving the detective's line of sight.

Watari was now alone, like he usually was.

* * *

And that's the end of Chapter 3! Now, we will finally move on to Chapter 4! Let us hope Chapter 4 can be as interesting as I can make it! Ahem, other than that, hope you all enjoyed this chapter!

Here are the promotions:

 **Danganronpa: Blood Sport** (tobi-is-an-artist-too)

 **Danganronpa: Last Hurrah!** (mandipokemon)

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** (Heroi Oscura)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** (Prince PokePersona)

 **Danganronpa: Tall Tales and Other Murders** (ChaoticMercy)

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** (RioA)

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** (SanityRequiem)


	30. Chapter 4 - Part 1, Part A

Hello, and here I am with an update for once for this story. Sorry it took a while for this chapter to come out, I just had a bit of trouble starting this chapter, real life issues, etc. Haha, it's nothing that bad at least, and I'm here now! Anyways, let's get on with the show~

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Yes, it's Tadaomi! You shall not burn the boy! Please don't burn him, he's suffered enough ): It's okay, everyone dies in Danganronpa, so we shall anticipate the inevitable. Aww, thanks! Good luck with your stories as well, of course!"

 **Meta King:** "Wow, that's exactly what I felt too :0 How are we so similar in our feelings?!"

 **Prince PokePersona:** "My schedule for posting chapters is very erratic, it can come at any time, any length XD Hnngh, thanks to you for giving me the 'go' on the victims and killer of course :D You helped me a lot. Poor trio, please save them, er, or two of them. But Kyatchi has a lot of room to grow, let him liveeeee. Yes, we shall keep Yume and Kyatchi together. Pfft, just make them a meme at this point. Tadaomi is best boy, please protect him. Yay, constructive criticism for once! Yeah, I always have trouble balancing killers and victims regarding their screentime and motives, mhm. It's hard to balance that haha, but at least I'll have plenty of experience down the line so I can be at least decent at it, I hope. That's why we need the FTE content, side stories! Ignore the fact I haven't updated Disparity's side story yet, oof. Group dynamic here is at an all time low, oof. YEET."

 **ToonGuy:** "Poor everyone for being in Danganronpa ): And then there's Saki in the background just being the good doggie she is :D Yume and Kyatchi will always be the relatable moods of this series, ALWAYS! Aww, thanks so much! Yeah, uh, I'm not sure myself."

* * *

"Tadaomi!"

Watari immediately ran over to his older brother, grinning excitedly. Tadaomi smiled as he looked down at the boy, then picking up his frail body and putting him on his lap.

"What's going on, Watari?" Tadaomi asked, ruffling his brother's hair. "Did you even finish your homework?"

"Mhm, of course I did!" The raven giggled. He easily brought his small arms around Tadaomi's body, embracing him tightly. "I want to work with you now!"

"To solve crimes?" The redhead chuckled in return. "You're so eager to join me, huh? You know how dangerous detective work can be though, right?"

"That's part of the fun." Watari clapped his hands together, red eyes sparkling childishly. "Being a detective is a lot of work, but the payoff is great! I love seeing how people react when you solve a crime- they go 'fuwaaaah!' and 'ooooh!' and all that! It's so fun to see them!"

"Well, aren't you a little detective enthusiast." Tadaomi ruffled Watari's hair more, amused. "I'm sure you'll be an amazing detective, Watari. You just need to work hard. If you do, maybe I'll let you help me out around here. It does get boring if it's just me doing the work."

The boy jumped. "Really?!"

"Yup." Tadaomi chuckled. "I promise you that."

Watari was immediately excited, nodding his head up and down. The little boy wanted nothing more than to follow in his older brother's footsteps, and he was an overly excited and dedicated child.

" _But children these days are so troublesome, you know?"_

And again, it would've been a perfectly normal day. It would've been another day where Watari would walk to Tadaomi's office and grin, hanging out with him.

It would've been, yet that wasn't the case.

" _It's all your fault Tadaomi ended up like that, remember?"_

And the little raven was unaware of what was happening- of the danger he placed himself in. It wouldn't take long before he would begin to cry and shout, but all he would hear is nothing but malice.

" _You're the one who did this to Tadaomi. It's all your fault."_

And he knew that.

"Tadaomi! Tadaomi, help me!"

He knew that, but it was already too late.

" _What a shame. You can never change reality."_

* * *

He gasped. His eyes were dilated. Sweat was trickling down his pale face. His breaths were shaky, and his heart was screaming at him, throbbing.

Watari was silent. He could hear his own shaky breathing, heartbeat ringing inside of his ears. He whipped his head back, then to the left, and to the right. There was nothing to be seen. There was nothing, and he was all alone.

 _Shit._ The detective groaned, stretching his stiff arms out. A yawn escaped his chapped lips. He rubbed his eyes, slowly looking to his MonoPad over on the table. He honestly didn't want to get out of bed, but he had nothing else to do. That disgusting nightmare of his scared him off from wanting to prolong his sleep, so he stepped down on the cold floor and snatched the device before throwing himself back to bed.

He powered the device on, and instantly realized he was an hour early from the morning announcement. He pursed his lips, eyebrows furrowed. _God, I don't want to go back to sleep. I should probably just clean myself for a bit._

But, at this moment, Watari felt nothing more than tired. He supposed he can go shower and wash himself up later, and now he found himself without anything to do. He stared blankly at his MonoPad for a while, then deciding to check out the profiles on himself and his peers. He clicked onto himself, smirking dryly as he eyed his profile.

 **[Name: Watari Irino**

 **Age: 17 Years Old**

 **Birthday: October 30 XXXX**

 **Likes: Seafood, Formal Wear, Crime Dramas/Novels**

 **Dislikes: Tight Clothing, Crowds, Humid Air**

 **Note: Watari is Monokuma's accomplice.]**

Watari was not surprised to see his own profile, though the note at the bottom couldn't help but make him chuckle bitterly. It wasn't the case anymore, though seeing that Monokuma hadn't changed it made Watari wonder if the bear was plotting something. The bear most likely wanted everything to suspect Watari still, but at this point Watari just wondered if Monokuma wanted to mess with him.

 _Most likely the case._ The detective pursed his lips, then having an idea to check the profiles of the other Ultimates- specifically, those that died. However, when he expected to find something, all he saw was… it was completely nothing. Their profiles had been marked out with a bloody red X-sign, and Watari saw nothing. All of their information was gone, erased.

 _But there shouldn't be anything that's important to erase._ Watari gritted his teeth, finding himself annoyed. _There's zero purpose in erasing everything about someone's basic information… Why?_

Watari sighed, clicking off the page. He had nothing to base an answer off from, so he decided to leave it be for now. His mind wandered off to the chatroom app, and so he clicked over to that page.

Surprisingly, nobody seemed to have texted him. Not privately, not even in the group chat where he would usually see them spam one another. It was uncanny, to put it lightly.

 _I usually don't like messaging or starting conversations with them online though._ Watari sighed, scratching the back of his head. His face then became red, instantly realizing what his subconscious was telling him to do. … _I don't even know if anyone's awake. Aki probably, but I rather not text him._

Watari bit into his lips, thinking to himself for a bit. He supposed it was quite embarrassing to be the initiator of a conversation- a conversation meant to be just small talk, and especially whilst knowing he was the one who felt lonely and bored- he found nothing else to do, and he figured he'd rather wait for the morning announcement to move out of bed and prepare.

 _Then again, it's not like anyone's feeling particularly good anyways._ That thought settled in his mind, and so he decided he would spare himself a few minutes. It might serve him well in the future as well.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Shinjimae)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Are you awake? (06:15 AM)]**

Watari did not want to get his hopes up though. His heart was beating, and he had a feeling the animal whisperer was asleep. However, contrary to his expectations (and possibly to his hope), he saw a message.

 **[Shinjimae: Yeah! I just had a nightmare, so I just woke up. Saki's comforting me right now, hehe. (06:16 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: How about you? (06:16 AM)]**

Watari bit into his lips. He wasn't sure whether to lie or not to the animal whisperer, but recalling to what Kyatchi and the others continued to tell him, he felt like he had no choice but to relax.

 _Shinji seems to trust me completely too._ Watari sighed. _He and Tadaomi would get along well…_

 **[Watari: Same as you. What a coincidence, cutie. (06:17 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I wouldn't say that's great, but I'm glad you're awake! I love having Saki by my side, but it gets lonely at times without anyone else here. (06:17 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Oh! Have you talked to Tomoyo? (06:17 AM)]**

Watari held his breath. He had thought about that, yes, but at the same thinking about Tomoyo made his mind wander off to Masako. He bit into his lips.

 **[Watari: No. I'm not that close to her. (06:18 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I'm sure you guys are! She always comes to see you every morning, right? (06:18 AM)**

 **Watari: Yeah, but it's nothing special, sweetheart. (06:18 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: But still, I'm worried about her and Masako… (06:19 AM)**

 **Watari: Understandable. Didn't you and Aki want to talk about that? (06:19 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Yeah, but I fell asleep the moment I got back to my room, oops! (06:20 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Hopefully he didn't wait for me to text him… (06:20 AM)**

 **Watari: Surely not. (06:20 AM)]**

A few minutes passed by before another message was received.

 **[Shinjimae: We should go cheer up Tomoyo and Masako! (06:23 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I'm worried they won't get out of their rooms unless we bother them, to be honest. (06:24 AM)]**

Watari pursed his lips, thinking to himself for a moment. He honestly found it burdening to check on the two women, but knowing it might be better, he eventually typed in a reply.

 **[Watari: Sure. Aki and the others would get annoyed if those two are cooped up in their rooms forever. (06:26 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: That's a plan then! (06:26 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Saki and I will meet you at your room later then! (06:27 AM)**

 **Watari: Yeah, alright. (06:28 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

With that settled, the detective had a plan in mind then. If not for the assumption that Monokuma had a new area opened in mind for the remaining Ultimates (he would assume such, especially regarding the fact new areas seemed to open after a trial occurred), Watari would assume he'd be hearing Akio and the others worry and fuss over Tomoyo and Masako.

A groan escaped his lips. He knew Misaki was their closest friend, and she died when she could've escaped, given the motive. He knew it would scream at the remaining friends a thousand varying emotions and feelings, and he wasn't exactly sure if they would be more angered over the fact Misaki killed someone, or at the fact she could've lived. He didn't know, but all that was certain was that Misaki was dead, and Tomoyo and Masako's relationship broke in that very same moment the surgeon was declared guilty.

The detective sighed, scratching his head. He slowly made his way over to the bathroom to change himself, get himself ready for the day. He washed his face, his body- he cleaned himself up for the day, making sure he didn't look too horrible, at least decently presentable.

After he washed himself up and changed his clothes, he can hear the morning announcement playing. That same bear cried out the morning announcement, slightly more chipper than usual, and Watari was the least bit relieved he had changed before Shinjimae and Saki would appear in front of his door-

-since he heard the door being knocked on a few seconds after the announcement was sounded off. The detective stretched his arms out for a bit before grabbing his MonoPad and putting it away in his pocket, then unlocking the door and looking outside to find the animal whisperer and his dog.

"G-good morning!" Shinjimae began, almost too loudly. He blushed slightly as Watari threw him a small nod. "Erm, s-so shall we get going?"

The raven crossed his arms, noticing the slight bags under Shinjimae's eyes. "Hm… Well, dearie, who are we going to talk to first?"

The animal whisperer thought for a moment, pursing his chapped lips. Saki wagged her tail to and fro before the taller Ultimate said, albeit hesitantly, "M-maybe Tomoyo? I-it's your choice though… uh, w-whoever's closer from h-here."

Watari shrugged, observing the taller man's movements. Shinjimae still seemed slightly nervous and tense, and the detective decided to sigh and speak more gently. "I'm fine with whatever you want, dearie. Just do whatever makes you comfortable."

Shinjimae nodded his head immediately. "O-of course!"

The detective chuckled, allowing Shinjimae and Saki to make the first move. They spoke to one another for a bit before the animal whisperer made a decision. Shinjimae gestured Watari to follow, and so they moved around the dormitories, moving left and right before reaching Tomoyo's door. Shinjimae threw a worrisome look to Watari, but since the detective had still stayed silent the animal whisperer decided to knock, albeit hesitantly. A few knocks were made, and so they were now waiting.

A few seconds passed. Another few seconds passed and before Shinjimae was about to knock on the door again, it creaked open.

Tomoyo's head peeked out from the door, and even if it was only a few inches of her face, Watari knew she was in a worse state than both he and Shinjimae combined- her face was sickly, her eyes still looked red (complete with detailed eye bags and tired brows), and her lips were chapped. Her expression was devoid of life, yet her lips still seemed to move, making her voice a small, "Hello."

"Erm…" Shinjimae gulped. Saki nuzzled against his leg for comfort. "A-are you going to, erm, e-eat with us?"

Tomoyo looked at Shinjimae for a moment, then biting into her lips with a slightly hardened gaze. "Did anyone even cook?"

"Uh… n-not sure." Shinjimae hesitantly smiled. "N-nonetheless, uh, are you joining us?"

The screenwriter frowned. She thought to herself for a moment, silent. It didn't take long before she sighed, nodding her head. "I suppose so, if you guys haven't cooked anything yet."

"We're going to talk to Masako." Watari immediately stepped in. "Are you even alright being around her?"

Tomoyo rubbed her hands. "... I don't know if she wants to be around me. I don't think she's willing to talk to me."

"W-we can, erm, fix that!" Shinjimae quickly threw on a confident, happy front. "I-I'm sure if we, uh, t-try hard enough w-we'll get her to apologize and talk to you!"

"If anything, I think I'm the one who should apologize to her." Tomoyo bit into her lips. "I shouldn't have called Misaki out."

"N-nonsense!" The animal whisperer shook his head, though his doe-shaped eyes told a different story. "W-we were in a trial…"

The screenwriter sighed, stepping outside and closing the door behind her. "It's fine. I'll help cook food if you guys didn't make breakfast already."

"Erm…" Shinjimae immediately turned to Watari for help.

Watari shrugged in response. "Whatever the sweetheart desires. Didn't you want to talk to Masako though?"

Shinjimae slowly nodded his head. "Y-yeah, but…" He turned to Tomoyo. "A-are you, erm, fine with it?"

Tomoyo averted her gaze. "... I'll just cook. I don't feel comfortable at the moment, sorry."

"Erm, a-are you sure?" Shinjimae noticed Tomoyo leaving, and he quickly looked down to Saki, then to Watari. "Um, I-I'll go after her, so, erm, g-go talk to Masako, please."

Watari's eyes widened. "Wait, me?"

Shinjimae threw Watari an innocent look, questioning the detective's sudden flustered tone. "U-uh, yeah? I-I'm going to catch up to T-Tomoyo, so please g-get Masako."

Before Watari could even respond, the animal whisperer chased after Tomoyo. Saki had ran up to Shinjimae as well, and so Watari was now completely alone.

 _Of course I'm alone again._ Watari scratched his head, releasing a soft sigh. He looked around the area, then finding Masako's door nearby. He frowned. _I doubt Masako wants to talk to me anyways considering we clashed… Shinji, please tell me you haven't done this on purpose._

Watari bit into his lips. Well, he didn't want to ignore Masako despite everything that happened. If anything, he knew Shinjimae would be disappointed if he were to not talk to her, and Watari knew the others would try to talk to her despite his own choices. A sigh escaped himself, and he decided to walk over to the woman's door.

He stared at the door for a moment. Hesitation escaped his body, but he forced himself to stay put. He recalled back to what Akio and Kyatchi had said before, then recalled how Tadaomi would handle situations. Everyone was trying to act as the meditator in a given situation, and yet Watari only now realized it.

 _Ah, dammit._ Watari shook his head. He shouldn't ponder on this so much- he might hesitate again, after all. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he quickly forced back the urge to run and knocked on the door.

One. Two. Three.

A few seconds passed in silence.

Watari frowned. He knew Masako wouldn't open the door so easily. A sigh escaped his lips. He knocked on the door again.

Of course, she didn't open the door.

Watari sighed, taking out his MonoPad. At least a warning would help, he supposed.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Masako)**

 **Watari: Hey, if you're awake, I'm at the door. (07:15 AM)**

 **Watari: Everyone's going to eat. Are you coming? (07:15 AM)**

 **Watari: I'll be waiting outside nonetheless. If not me, then the others. (07:16 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Honestly speaking, the detective felt more than a little bit awkward to suddenly message the woman. He admitted that he probably should've apologized to her, but he felt awkward and just spoke whatever came out from his head. It might not be the best idea, but at least he messaged her, he supposed.

Of course, he didn't expect her to message him back either. He shouldn't be surprised, and he wasn't. A sigh escaped his lips nonetheless, and knowing that Shinjimae and the others wanted nothing more than to see Masako with them, Watari decided to bang his fist against the door and continuously knock on it.

Might not be the best idea considering other people might be around and get annoyed- most likely not, and Watari couldn't care less. He couldn't even bother with how his fist was definitely beginning to redden and ache, his focus entirely on making Masako open the goddamn door. He continued and continued, almost spending minutes banging on the door until-

-there, it opened.

Masako peeked out the door, and immediately Watari could see how detailed the bags were under her black eyes. Her deathly pale skin looked even deadlier, and Watari wasn't even sure if she was alive, or was a ghost at this point. Her hair wasn't even tied in her usual ponytail, and so the detective could see just how shaggy and wild her rusty red hair was.

"Uh…" Watari found himself having nothing to say. He felt an extreme sense of awkwardness and nervousness overwhelming him.

"P-please don't bother me," Masako began, speaking even more quietly than usual. Her eyes were averted to the floor. "I just… I just want to stay here."

The detective frowned. One word came out of his head, and that was she was being pathetic. Yet, he knew she would immediately slam the door on him, and he knew Tadaomi would smack him in return if he were to see him. Watari was at fault here, for one reason or another. "If you stay in here, Aki and the others will definitely bang on the door like I did forever until you open it. They're more stubborn than me in helping you."

Masako frowned slightly. "T-that's only him and maybe Shinji… I-I doubt Kyatchi and Yume care about someone as pathetic as me."

 _Hm, she didn't mention Tomoyo's name._ Watari observed her for a moment, then crossed his arms and bit into his lips. "Nonetheless, they'll bother you until you come outside. It's not in their nature to leave others behind."

The survivalist pursed her lips. "W-why are you even here? … Please, I know they probably forced you to talk to me."

"I can't lie to you about that," Watari admitted, causing Masako to smile sadly over the fact she was correct. The detective frowned. "But as easily as I could've ignored them and pretended I talked to you, I didn't. I'm here at least."

"I mean…" Masako looked around the area. There was nobody in sight, and her expression slightly soured. "... W-why exactly are you here then?"

Watari held his breath. He had to set his ego aside. _Just follow what Tadaomi always did. If you were able to apologize to Shinji- er, even if that apology was really embarrassing to me at best, then you can do it to Masako._ He cleared his throat and began slowly, trying to make himself as honest as can be, "I may not be the best person to talk to concerning… uh, friendships and bonds and whatever, but it's obvious you were in pain when Misaki died. It was obvious you felt betrayed when you figured out that Misaki was the one who murdered Decebel and Ayako, and Tomoyo was the one who called her out for it. It was obvious you would've broke at that point."

Masako shook her head, sighing a shaky breath. "I-I'm not mad at you. I'm just mad at myself… I-I'm so pathetic, I couldn't stop Misaki."

"Of course you couldn't." Watari averted his gaze. "It sounds heartless of me, but you couldn't have stopped her. We can't force people to feel or do a certain way so easily, especially if you didn't know something was going to happen to them."

"In comparison to you, I'm just a mess," the woman admitted. "Y-you shouldn't even have talked to me. I… I just don't want to be here. I've suffered enough."

 _Shit._ Watari held his breath. "It's not Misaki's fault, it's not your fault, it's not anyone's fault here. It's Monokuma's fault for causing Misaki to die, not yours."

Masako shook her head. "I loved her though." Her voice cracked. "I-I couldn't even stop the person I've been looking at!"

"It's not your fault. You couldn't stay by her side 24/7. No one can." Watari gulped. "Look, I know it sounds fake coming from someone like me, but you're definitely not pathetic."

Masako was shaking. "T-that's not true."

The detective pointed a finger up. "You're an Ultimate for a reason, remember? Ultimates are called 'Ultimates' for a reason. Nonetheless…" He hesitated. "... look, you cared about Misaki to the point of wanting to sacrifice yourself for her. If you were truly pathetic, you would've thrown Misaki to the side and cast her as nothing more than a burden."

"W-why would I cast her aside?" Masako's eyes widened. "I-I would never hurt her!"

"Exactly, but you didn't." Watari chuckled. He then stopped though, averting his gaze. "Look, Masako, I'm sorry. It wasn't in my place to call you out like that. I… I should've understood your situation."

Masako was shocked, eyes now staring straight at the detective. "W-Watari, it's not your fault. I wasn't in any position to yell at you."

The raven shook his head. "You were completely valid there. I shouldn't have stepped in."

"B-but I shouldn't have yelled at you or anyone! N-not even Tomoyo…" Masako threw her hands over her mouth. "Oh god, I-I can't face her…"

Watari sighed. "Look, I know you're not comfortable being around me still, and I know you won't be comfortable being around the others."

"Ah… Y-you can tell, huh." Masako slowly moved her hands away. "Y-yeah, to be honest, I still want to be inside… E-even if you apologized, I don't feel comfortable still. Sorry."

The detective shook his head. "Hm, are you hungry?"

Masako raised a brow. "H-huh? Well…" Her stomach growled. She immediately blushed. "... M-maybe. I-it's fine though! I'll stay here."

Watari frowned, shaking his head yet again. "Aki and the others are definitely going to bother you though."

"I… I'll ignore them." Masako awkwardly laughed, though it was more forced than anything else. "It's just… I'm scared of encountering Tomoyo. I-I can't stop thinking about Misaki, and honestly I'm still blaming her and even you and everyone at this point and… I'm sorry."

 _Hm… If I was Tadaomi…_ Watari snapped his fingers. "Then how about this: I'll head over to the cafeteria and grab both of us food. You can talk to me about anything you want inside your room, dear, and don't worry, I'll tell Shinji to tell everyone to not bother us."

"W-well…" Masako's face turned red. "I-it's kind of embarrassing being in my room, and I'm not much of a speaker… I-I'll just ruin your mood."

"I don't care if you're not much of an extrovert. It's a bit obvious you prefer listening to others." Watari threw the woman a small smile. "How about we switch back and forth then? I heard talk therapy works wonders."

Masako shook her head. "T-the only memories I have of my family aren't that great, honestly… I-it's just pathetic throughout and throughout."

Watari sighed. "Masako, you like Misaki, right?"

The woman blushed. "P-please don't just say it so freely."

"Dear, you admitted that to everyone already." Nonetheless, he didn't want to harm the woman anymore than he already did, so he quickly shoved that embarrassment aside and continued. "Just tell me stuff about Misaki then, alright? I'll get us food and we can talk somewhere if you don't want to talk in your room. Anywhere you prefer, dear?"

Masako was shocked, her eyes widening. "O-oh! Er… a-are you sure you want to waste your time with me? I-I'm just what people would consider a 'depressed mess', s-so…"

 _She really thinks of herself so lowly._ Watari shook his head. "I wouldn't be suggesting it in the first place if I didn't want to talk to you. Look, just consider this an additional way to apologize to you. Everyone wants to see you get better, and I know you would be bothered by Aki and the others, so this way seems reasonable to me."

"I-if you say so…" Masako gulped. "I-I suppose we can talk outside? … or do you want to investigate the new area? I-I know you would want to look around."

Watari raised a brow. "I doubt you'd want to be up and running around investigating, especially if the others might see you, considering they're going to search as well. I'll do it later."

"I-I suppose so." Masako nodded her head slowly. "... J-just please, I don't want to see Tomoyo right now."

"... Right." Watari winked. "I'll let the others know then. Stay put here, and I'll bring us the food."

Masako simply nodded her head again for an answer.

The detective threw her another wink before moving, making his way over to the cafeteria. Although he hesitated slightly over pondering about their reactions, he already made his decision and forced himself to walk inside.

And, like expected, everyone else was inside, looking over to him curiously. Tomoyo seemed to have been talking to Shinjimae and Akio, slightly looking better (although expressions can easily be hidden and disguised), and it looked like Yume and Kyatchi were eating. Nonetheless, all their eyes were focused on Watari, and the detective instantly knew what they were wondering.

"I'm working on it," the detective announced, rather awkwardly at that. "Anyways, is it alright if I take some food back with me? I'm going to talk to Masako outside and give her food… Uh, she doesn't want anyone to bother us, if you wanted to know."

Tomoyo stared at the raven for a moment, then sighed and looked away, back to eating her food. She seemed to have murmured something, but it was impossible to decipher or hear.

"At least she's not dead," Kyatchi mused, albeit slightly dry in taste. He grinned at Watari who simply eyed him, then shrugged. "We're not hoarding the food, so take whatever you want."

Yume sighed. "Yeah, I don't even eat that much to begin with."

"Is she doing okay though?" Akio asked, standing up from his seat. "What did she say?"

Watari bit into his lips. "Well, if getting out of her room means one thing, then I'd say she's better than I expected?"

"A-at least she's not bedridden!" Shinjimae cried, joyful with hope sparkling in his eyes. "I-I'm glad she's talking to you."

Watari nodded his head slowly, then eyeing the two empty plates on the table. "Mhm, I'll go get some food now, if you sweethearts don't mind."

"Yeah, go ahead." The actor smiled awkwardly. He watched the detective who grabbed the plates from the table. "We have plenty of food to go around."

"Yeah." The detective grabbed ahold of some food. He took some miso soup and held the bowls close to the plates, then taking some scrambled eggs and Belgian waffles, then putting syrup on them. He threw the group a small nod before leaving, quickly making his way back to Masako who was awkwardly standing around, near her door.

"O-oh, hello again." An awkward smile crept to her lips. "Uh… I-I'm assuming that's our food? W-who cooked it?"

 _Probably Tomoyo._ Watari shrugged. "I wouldn't know, I was here with you, remember? I didn't expect you to be curious about it too."

"Ah, t-that is true." Masako nodded her head slowly. "S-sorry for asking. I shouldn't have even thought about asking."

 _Oh, geez. Does she always tend to degrade herself like this or something? She really does not think of herself too highly._ Watari eyed the woman for a moment, then sighed and pointed out the dormitories. "You want to eat and talk outside, right? Let's get going then, sweetheart."

Masako threw him a hesitant look, but nodded and slowly began to walk.

The duo silently made their way down the hallways. Watari looked around the area carefully to make sure nobody was in sight, and within a few seconds the duo were making their way outside. The sunlight was shining down through the glass ceiling, and it felt nice against Watari's skin. The detective felt refreshed, somewhat, and he gestured Masako to sit down on the grass a few steps away.

Masako eyed the detective, then nervously sat herself down and grabbed her plate. She began to open the chopsticks up and tore them apart, then slowly eating into her food.

A few minutes of silence passed between the duo, only their chewing to be heard.

"So," Watari began, looking at the survivalist slowly, "what made you like Misaki?"

Masako's face was beet red, and she quickly gulped down some scrambled eggs. "I-I still don't see why you would be interested in learning about me, s-sorry."

"I converse with people to learn more about them. It's just something I do as a detective." Watari spoke indifferently, though he certainly didn't expect Masako to eye him with a strange look of curiosity. He stared at her for a second before clearing his throat and repeated with a little, "So, you and Misaki."

The survivalist awkwardly turned her head away. "I-I would think you would have an idea of why I like her. She's just so energetic and sweet, the complete opposite of me…"

The detective smirked. "Dear, I'm pretty sure the opposite of 'sweet' is 'bitter', and you are certainly not going to be labeled that by anyone here. Don't steal Kyatchi's little credit there."

"Ah, yeah." Masako chuckled softly. "S-sorry, I really don't have anything interesting to say. I-it was just a stupid crush, honestly. I doubt she was even interested in anyone."

 _Love honestly is stupid, but, hm…_ Watari slowly gulped down his piece of food. "I'm going to assume she was the first person you liked then."

"Y-yeah!" Masako's lips curled to a childish smile. "S-she was so cool, always so assertive and kind. I-I always loved it when she talked to me and she was always so kind and- o-oh my gosh, I'm rambling again! Sorry!"

"Hmm, not a problem at all." Watari glanced at the woman in slight amusement. "If it helps you calm down, then it's fine."

Masako eyed him in shock, but slowly calmed down. Her head slowly nodded as she curiously asked, "W-why are you being so nice to me? I haven't even forgiven you yet, but…"

Watari simply sighed. "Well…" he averted his gaze. "Let's just say things are not going my way as I initially planned."

Masako threw him a worried look, but stayed silent about it and simply looked to the side. "Y-you know something? Misaki really did care about you."

"I mean, she did nickname me 'Ari'." Watari chuckled playfully. "She cares about everyone, Masako."

"S-she really believed you weren't a bad person." Masako smiled awkwardly, although her face was still pale. "I-I know Tomoyo believed in what she said, but I didn't, in all honesty. I-I really did think you were on Monokuma's side the whole time… especially when Kiyoko believed that everyone were killers… I-I blamed you for making that happen. I just couldn't help but wonder what would happen if you never told us this, and Kiyoko never believed you. She was Tomoyo's first friend here too, after all."

Watari initially wouldn't have felt anything before, but right now there was a wash of guilt that fell down on his stomach. He couldn't help but purse his lips. "I didn't expect her of all people to react like that, to be honest with you."

"R-really?" Masako eyed him curiously. "Ah, s-sorry. I know you're trying to comfort me, but, uh… you sounded like you knew Kiyoko before there?"

Watari eyed her for a moment, silent. He thought about it, then hesitated as he slowly said, "She's part of a case I was involved in before."

"I-I see." Masako nodded her head slowly. "N-now that I think about it, you probably know a lot of people because of your work as a detective, huh?"

The detective chuckled amusingly. "I suppose so. I've only ever met Aki and Kiyoko in person. I did my research on you all for a bit though."

"A-ah, I see." Masako's face instantly saddened. "T-then, you know about my history, I'm assuming…"

Watari shrugged. "Most likely only the basics. I haven't learned much about everyone, only their names and talents."

The look on Masako's face was nothing short of relief, but at the same time she looked shocked. She simply looked away the moment she exposed her own emotions, and so she simply looked away. "S-sorry for asking."

"Not at all. Just do what you want." Watari then crossed his arms for a moment, staring at Masako. "Has Misaki ever told you much about herself?"

"O-oh, on herself? Well…" Masako thought for a moment, then awkwardly scratched her head. "S-she was really secretive about it, but I did hear that her father used to be a well-known surgeon… I-I never heard about her mom though."

"Hm, really now?" Watari bit into his lips. He thought to himself for a few moments, thinking before a sudden realization came through his head. "Oh! I think of heard of him then. He was the 'surgeon who fell from grace' ever since one of his patients, a well-liked politician, died."

Masako's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"My coworkers still liked to talk about that case for some reason." Watari shrugged. "It happened a long time ago, but I'm assuming since Misaki's last name was Ueda it must be that surgeon. I'm assuming that's the only 'well-known' surgeon with the last name Ueda, after all."

"R-really?" Masako looked at Watari for a moment, quiet. She then slowly grasped her hands together, rubbing them gently. "I-I really should've gotten to know her better, huh… P-poor Misaki, and her dad…"

"It's fine." Watari gulped down the rest of his food. "I haven't gotten to know Kiyoko as much as I would've wanted. I never really talked to her outside of the usual professional routine."

The survivalist threw the detective a worried look, then held her breath. "W-well, how much do you know about her, i-if you don't mind me asking."

"Well, aren't you a curious dear." The detective grinned slightly. "You do remember that Kiyoko's a recreation worker, right?" He waited for Masako to nod her head. "She led a group to a campsite to do some activities, and a pair of siblings ended up missing that night. We weren't Ultimates yet at the time, only candidates, but since Kiyoko's candidacy was riding on the line with that, I was given money to be put in charge of her case."

Watari sighed. He remembered it well enough in his head, his eyes staring upon Masako's freckled face.

* * *

 _Watari thought for a moment, then finding the will to continue typing into his laptop. He could hear his parents discussing about work downstairs, and next door he could hear his brother sleeping soundly. The young detective frowned, hearing silence next. Footsteps came up the stairs, and Watari looked up to find his mom, holding the phone in her hand._

" _Watari, dearie." She pointed to her cellphone. "Your boss is calling."_

 _The raven eyed her curiously, then nodded his head and grabbed the cellphone from her hand. He put it to his ear. "Hello?"_

" _Mr. Irino, I know your schedule is open, right?"_

" _Yeah?" Watari frowned. "Why are you asking?"_

" _I want you to handle this new case involving the disappearance of two young children. Have you heard about Kiyoko Yamagiri?"_

" _I don't think so," the raven admitted. "Why? I'm assuming she is special then if you want me to take up on the case."_

" _Don't get too cocky there, brat." A soft grunt. "Kiyoko Yamagiri is a very strong candidate into being an Ultimate, and it's obvious why I want you to take up on the case."_

" _Makes sense." Watari smirked dryly. "Did Kiyoko tell you to refer to me?"_

" _It's obvious she would want to hold her position, right? Her parents would kill her- ah, let me hook you up with her on the phone."_

 _A few seconds passed before a young teenage girl's voice was heard. "Hello?"_

" _I'm assuming you're Kiyoko?" Watari chuckled. "Pleasure to meet you. What seems to be the issue here?"_

 _A few moments of silence, and then instantly could the detective hear how strained her voice sounded. "I should've been more alert, and it was nighttime. I was stupid enough to tell the kids to catch some fireflies, and then I ended up losing two kids… God, if they're dead, I'm…"_

 _Watari frowned. "You'll be fine, Ms. Yamagiri. I'm here to protect your candidacy."_

" _Enough about that, but the kids-"_

" _They'll be safe, I assure you. I'm a detective for a reason." Watari couldn't help but eye his mother who was still looking at him, curious. "Anyways, I'm assuming you're at the station? I'll head over there and we can discuss the details. Is that alright with you, Ms. Yamagiri?"_

" _Ah… yeah, please."_

 _The phone call ended, and Watari instantly packed up his bags. He looked over to his mother who gave him a reassuring nod. Watari smiled in return as he let her embrace her, then moved over to check on his brother in the next room._

" _Uh, Tadaomi?" Watari's voice was much more gentler. "If you're awake, uh, I'm moving out."_

" _Ah, alright." Tadaomi smiled softly. It seemed like he was having trouble falling asleep, Watari noting the eyebags. "Please be safe, Watari."_

 _And Watari looked over to Tadaomi, then hesitantly walked towards his older brother and threw his arms around him._

" _I'll be safe, don't worry."_

* * *

Watari awkwardly scratched his head. "It's nothing that special. In all honesty, I never really took notice of other people. Clients, to me, were just clients. As long as I get the job done, that's all I can care about."

Masako pursed her lips. "I-I see… W-well, even if it was related to a crime, it's interesting to know you knew Kiyoko beforehand!"

"Hm." Watari noted the slight happiness on the survivalist's face, and he couldn't help but chuckle. "Was Misaki your first ever friend?"

Masako blushed, but bobbed her head up and down. "Y-yeah, my parents… L-let's just say I didn't come from a good background."

"You don't have to reveal everything now and so openly." Watari smirked amusingly, waving a finger about. "I'm not close to you at all, dear."

"I-I just tend to ramble a lot, I'm sorry." Masako continued to be red. "A-anyways, uh, I finished my food."

Watari looked down at Masako's plate- like his, it was empty. The detective chuckled and waved his hand about again. "Well, do you want us to move now? I don't know if the others are still in the cafeteria."

"A-ah, right." Masako averted her gaze. "I-I'm still a bit uncomfortable with Tomoyo… I-it's honestly a surprise I'm talking to you."

The detective smiled and stood up from his spot. "Well, are you comfortable leaving from here? I'll put your dishes away if you want."

Masako shook her head. "I-it's fine. I'll do it when no one's looking." She then stood up, quickly bowing her head down. "I-I'm so sorry. I wasted your time with my meaningless talk. I-I don't even know if it helped me in any way…"

"You're good. Just go at your own pace." Watari sighed. "I had nothing else to do anyways. Investigating, sure, but other than that I literally live to breathe and cause trouble."

Masako couldn't help but laugh slightly. "T-that sounds like something Kyatchi would say, honestly."

"He has Yume to stop him," Watari mused instantly, shrugging. He then frowned. _Now that I think about it, less than half of us are left. That's kind of eerie…_

… _and I still haven't come close to stopping Monokuma. I couldn't even stop people from dying. Fuck, I keep thinking this sort of shit._

Watari quickly looked over to the survivalist and grinned. "Well, whether you want to or not, I'll take your dishes and put them in the cafeteria. It takes too much work to walk around and talk while holding a mess, well, unless you're ready to head back to your room and mope, hm?"

Masako awkwardly nodded, letting the detective take her plates. She couldn't help but scratch her head, toying with her hands. "W-well, I might take a rest, in all honesty. I'm still a bit tired from last night."

"That's understandable." Watari then thought for a moment, then pointed at her. "Just remember if you don't get out, Aki and the others will be pounding at your door."

Masako averted her gaze. "Well… I-I know you're closer to Shinji and Tomoyo, so maybe you can tell them to tell the others to not bother me?"

"Why would they listen to me? They already know I like nothing more than to do things for my selfish gain." Watari then sighed, noticing the anxiety on the woman's face. "How about you message in the group chat?"

"W-why?" Masako raised a brow, baffled.

"Well, if you truly don't want to get out of your room, then they cannot communicate with you…" A smirk crept up on his lips. "... in person. You can definitely communicate with them without seeing them in person, right?"

Masako's eyes instantly widened. "A-ah, right. I… I actually haven't thought about that."

The detective clapped his hands together, laughing. "See? Aren't I just a genius~!"

The survivalist meekly nodded her head, laughing softly in return at Watari's expense. "I-I suppose you are, huh."

Watari nodded, then beginning to step back. "Alright, then I suppose I'll head back. Is that alright with you?"

"I-I'm fine with it." A moment passed. "Thank you."

The detective simply shrugged in return, then moved out. He did ponder over whether or not Masako will listen to what he said, but his mind was now focused on the investigation. He eyed the plates in his hands, then the dirty chopsticks. A sigh escaped his lips as he moved into the cafeteria and straight into the kitchen.

Tomoyo was inside, having recently finished cleaning the dishes. She wiped the sweat off her forehead before hearing Watari's footsteps. She looked back, her tired eyes falling down on the man's. "You're back."

"Mhm." Watari waved the plates around. "You fine washing a few more, dear?"

The woman nodded her head. "I'm fine. Don't worry about it." And she easily took the plates and turned back the faucet.

A few moments of silence. Watari eyed her for a moment, then opening the refrigerator. He took out a chocolate bar and unwrapped it, frowning at how rock hard it was. A sigh escaped his lips. "Where are the others?"

"They're investigating the new area," Tomoyo answered, squirting dish soap to her wet sponge. "I told them I'll stay behind and wash the dishes."

Watari raised a brow, the unwrapped chocolate bar still in his hand. "I'm assuming you want to investigate the area later then?"

"Mhm, I will." A few more moments of silence passed. "... Aren't you going to investigate the new area?"

"Like you, later." Watari chuckled. "Let me enjoy this chocolate bar first, dear."

Tomoyo's eyes widened and she looked back. "Is that the last chocolate bar?"

"Uh…" Watari moved over to open the fridge. He eyed the contents for a moment, then nodded his head at the woman. "Yeah, why?"

A long sigh escaped her breath. She threw the detective a sad, albeit slightly annoyed look, then looked away. "It's nothing."

The raven raised a brow. He analyzed the woman's movements for a bit, then mused, "If you want to half or something, we could. I haven't bit into it yet."

"... It's fine." Although Tomoyo's face told a different story.

Watari deadpanned. "How about I throw it in the trash then?"

"Don't waste food." Tomoyo easily finished cleaning the dishes, now turning the faucet back off. She walked over to the trash bin and threw her gloves away. She then turned to eye the raven, eyes slowly focusing on the bar. "... I'll take half, if you don't mind."

Watari rolled his eyes, but used all of strength to tear the bar in half. He handed one to Tomoyo, then keeping the other half to himself.

… _Hm, Tomoyo's half looks like more than mine. Ah, whatever._ Watari bit into a piece. It tasted just as he expected. He honestly couldn't care less about chocolate, however Tomoyo was a different story.

Her lips were instantly curled to a smile as she bit into her piece. She gulped it down happily before blushing, noticing Watari's eyes on her. She quickly coughed, then awkwardly mused, "Thank you. Uh, now if you'll excuse me, I'll investigate the new area. See you later, Watari."

And without a second to waste, Tomoyo quickly left the kitchen and away from the cafeteria. Like always, Watari was now alone.

 _Hm… she didn't ask about Masako._ Watari pursed his lips, slightly bothered as he chewed on his chocolate bar. A frown escaped his parted lips as he looked around the area. Of course, there was no one, and Watari was left in this humble 'abode' of his.

He chewed into his bar again, then reached into his pocket and took out his MonoPad. It powered on, and he immediately checked the map.

As expected, the new area was available. Watari checked the contents of the map, eyeing its layout. Apparently there was a new floor that can be accessed at the top, Watari noting how there were plenty of offices to be seen in the layout. The detective frowned. He could only hope there was something useful up top.

He then saw a message from Shinjimae. He opened it up.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Shinjimae)**

 **(More on top...)**

 **Shinjimae: Hello! How was it with Masako? (12:23 PM)]**

Watari couldn't help but roll his eyes. _Of course he would ask, the sweetheart._

Watari chuckled slightly, then typed a message in response.

 **[Watari: It was fine. She's talking at least. (12:24 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: That's great! I'm so happy! (12:24 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Blaise and the others are with me right now! Tomoyo's still in the kitchen cleaning dishes I think! (12:25 PM)**

 **Watari: She already finished. She's going to investigate right now. (12:25 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Oh, nice! Are you and Masako going to check the new area with us? (12:26 PM)**

 **Watari: I'll go, but Masako's still uncomfortable being near people. Tomoyo, remember? (12:26 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Aw, right ): (12:26 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: It's fine though! Progress is progress! (12:27 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: I'm just glad she was willing to talk to you! I was afraid she was going to close the door on you, or you'd ignore her in general. (12:28 PM)**

 **Watari: Did you leave me there on purpose? (12:28 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Hehehehe. (12:28 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: I just like you too much to not do that! (12:28 PM)**

 **Watari: Aw, you're more playful than I thought. Anyways, how's investigation going along? (12:29 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: It's going well! Blaise got pranked again by Kyatchi though, so Blaise is a bit annoyed right now, hehe. (12:31 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: You should join us! (12:31 PM)**

 **Watari: Yeah, I'm going there. Wait for me, sweetie. (12:32 PM)**

 **Shinjimae: Okay! (12:32 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

 _Well, it's a good thing Shinji seems to be in higher spirits. Ever since Hitomu and Keishi died… hm._ Watari sighed, shoving the device back into his pocket. Well, he had one thing in mind now, and that one thing was simple-

-to investigate the new area.

With that settled, the detective then moved.

* * *

And here is the end of this chapter! I'm sorry it took a while to get this chapter out, but better late than never, I suppose! Anyways, as you may or may not have seen already, I have posted up the FTE poll on my profile, so feel free to go there and vote! Everyone is going to die, one way or another, after all ;)

Here are the promotions!

 **Danganronpa: Last Hurrah!** (mandipokemon)

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** (Heroi Oscura)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** (Prince PokePersona)

 **Danganronpa: Tall Tales and Other Murders** (ChaoticMercy)

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** (RioA)

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** (SanityRequiem)

 **Our Ghosts Return** (TheRoseShadow21)

And with that said, like always, I will see you all in the next update! Have a great day!


	31. Chapter 4 - Part 1, Part B

Hello, and I am finally back here with another chapter! Sorry it took a while to get this chapter out, I was quite busy with some stuff! Anyways, this chapter's here, and I hope you guys can all enjoy it as much as possible! The entirety of Chapter 4 might run at a slightly quicker pace, and you might notice it during this chapter given what happens, haha.

 **Meta King:** "Yes, that is a beautiful review. I love it."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Heck yeah, Kiyoko and Watari! Corruption is always common in the world, oof. Ultimates are amazing, aren't they? They're the best of the best. It's kinda a bond, kinda not, I don't know. Make Watari nicer, please. Thanks so much!"

 **Shyjoker:** "I'm going to die, oof!"

 **Prince PokePersona:** "The aftermath of the class trial, woo! Took forever to get the trial out of the way, aah. Teach me your class trial writing skills! Haha, don't worry, Chapter 4s are fun and heartbreaking, definitely. You break me with every chapter I read from you though, Sona, the poor characters will suffer there! Yup, Masako hasn't gotten a lot of screentime sadly in comparison to Misaki and Tomoyo, the poor maiden. Everything is crushing ): Haha, don't worry Sona, I'll protect you from Meta XD Save Shinji from dying, please. The poor characters suffer, oof. Sona, I'll love you no matter a review or not ;) Aww, thanks! Same to you, of course!"

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Lupus Overkill!**

* * *

Watari easily made his way up the stairs, finally finding himself moving over to the new area. The same walls, the same ceiling above, and yet Watari knew it was much more grandiose than what he was previously used to- it was a smell of superiority and power, almost, in the air around him.

"Watari!" Shinjimae was waving at him from a nearby corner. He had been ruffling Saki's fur happily, the dog nuzzling against him with his now fur-covered fingers. "I-It's nice to see you here."

Watari grinned slightly, moving over to kneel down and pet Saki for a bit. "Mhm, did you wait for me or something?"

Shinjimae shook his head, although his doe eyes were still sparkling in delight. "Mhm! I-I searched the place, but I want to be with you! Erm, if that's fine, o-of course."

"Hm, I see." Watari couldn't help but chuckle at this, looking up at the animal whisperer. "The others annoy you too much, so you'd rather be with me."

"N-no! They don't annoy me." Shinjimae's face was immediately red in embarrassment. "I-I just like being with you, erm, W-Watari."

The detective blushed slightly at this, but quickly shook it off for a smirk. "You're just a little sweetheart, aren't you?"

The animal whisperer simply blushed harder at this, but forced himself to speak. "Erm, s-should we get going then?"

Watari nodded. "Yeah, of course."

The duo began their search around the area. Watari did take notice of the smell- most likely, the smell of books? Whatever the smell of superiority was, Watari can smell that as he followed Shinjimae and Saki down, following them into an open entrance. The wooden door with a gold-padded knob was already open, so the duo easily made their way inside with Saki sniffing the red velvet carpet out.

 _Oh, wow._ Watari looked inside to find himself immediately entranced by the amount of files and books on the row of shelves and cabinets. It was definitely a storage room or a library, something that Watari can consider a bookworm or keeper's paradise. Well, to him, it was something similar to paradise- if anything, he was just amazed at how much stuff Monokuma was willing to show and give out.

"T-there's a lot of stuff in here," Shinjimae began, noticing the look on the detective's face. "Erm, B-Blaise wanted us to look around for clues later."

"Hmm, I see." The detective took a few steps further inside, now brushing his fingers against a few nearby rows of books and files. He eyed them curiously, noting them as something of importance. He skimmed around the room for a moment, noting its largeness and widened, then turned back to Shinjimae. "Did you guys find anything of interest so far though?"

Shinjimae shook his head. "A-ah, no, sorry. Um, B-Blaise wanted to look around the, uh, o-other places. K-Kyatchi and Yume too."

The detective smiled. "Makes sense."

Watari figured he'd have to search the place himself later, but he couldn't help but wonder if he should stay back with Akio and the others. He did have a feeling Masako wouldn't come, of course, and Tomoyo might want to be alone for a while. He knew Kyatchi would be able to force Yume to help, and given his intuition on what this floor had to offer, more help might be needed, especially if Watari wanted to bring everyone out of this stupid game quickly.

 _Hmm, oh well. I'll worry about it later._ Watari took a look back to Shinjimae, the taller man now petting Saki's head. "Have you seen Tomoyo around?"

"O-oh, yeah." Shinjimae slowly got back to his feet. "W-when I was waiting for you, mhm. Uh, I-I saw her coming up after y-you messaged me, and, erm, s-she wanted to look around alone. S-she might've seen B-Blaise and the others already though. S-she's pretty quick on her feet, hehe."

Watari simply nodded, blocking the entrance now by leaning against the frame. "Ah, I see."

"Erm…" Hesitation escaped the animal whisperer's face, but he easily forced himself to continue, asking, "H-has Masako asked about Tomoyo?"

"Not that much, if you were hoping for a speedy recovery." Watari smirked dryly. He then noticed the animal whisperer mope in response, and the detective sighed. "Dear, stop worrying about others. You'll die out of stress one day."

"B-but still…" Shinjimae averted his gaze. "I-I hope they'll, uh, what's that word? … O-oh! Y-yeah, reconcile."

Watari frowned. He stepped forward and playfully winked at the taller man, pointing at his face. "The more you care, the higher your chances of dying next will be."

Shinjimae's face fell. "H-huh?! D-dying?!"

"Hm, haven't you watched any horror movies? Or any movies in general?" Watari snickered, easily using his tiny body to escape from Shinjimae and the entrance. He stepped back to the hallway and grinned playfully. "The nice and all-loving types of people always die first, cutie. It's a given fact."

"R-really?" Shinjimae gulped, suddenly finding himself uncomfortable. Saki easily made her way over to nuzzle herself against him, comforting him. "Still… I-I wouldn't like to think about that, i-in all honesty… D-death is…"

 _Oops._ Watari quickly threw out a small chuckle, forcing the situation to lighten up. He hastily, but carefully went back to Shinjimae who pouted, moving over and patting his shoulders. "You know I'm just messing with you. This isn't fiction, sweetie."

"Ugh." Shinjimae groaned. "Y-you're so mean."

"Pfft, and now you say that." The detective smirked. "Oh well. Let's get going now, alright?"

The animal whisperer nodded his head, curling his lips to a small smile. Saki barked happily as Shinjimae mused a shy, "A-alright then."

The duo continued their way down the hallway. As Watari and Shinjimae made their way down and towards the next room, they saw Yume who was walking back. Their eyes met, and Shinjimae easily took the initiative to wave at her, causing Yume to only look away in response and groan.

 _Yeah, I think she's had enough of social interaction for one day._ Watari did take notice of the slight hurt in Shinjimae's eyes, and so he stepped forward and smirked at the woman. "Trying to get away from Aki and Kya, hm?"

Yume nodded her head. She looked like she wanted to leave, but with Watari standing his ground, she knew she had to answer him. "They're annoying."

"Not surprised." Watari laughed. "They're trying to be buddy-buddy with you, hm? You just want to stay the loner you are."

"Yeah, and that's not working." Yume sighed, shaking her head. "Kyatchi always bothers me. He thinks it's fun for some reason."

The detective shrugged. "Maybe he actually likes you. You're basically one of the few people who couldn't give a shit about others."

"I guess." The woman snorted, added with a small roll of the eyes. "Anyways, I'm going to go to my room and take a nap. I'm too tired for this."

Watari smirked in response, amused. "Don't die of oversleeping, sweetie. I don't want another murder to occur so quickly."

Yume scoffed. "Yeah, sure."

And without a second to waste, Yume quickly moved away, leaving Watari and Shinjimae alone. Although it seemed like Shinjimae wanted to at least talk to her for a bit, she had already walked down the stairs. He could only sigh in disappointment, but shook his head as he ruffled Saki's fur and looked to Watari.

"Erm, d-did I annoy her?"

Watari raised a brow, then sighing and shaking his head. "Shinji, you're such a worrywart. She gets annoyed over everyone, don't worry."

"I-I see." Shinjimae slowly nodded his head, then eyed Saki who pointed her nose forward. "Erm, l-let's just go."

Watari nodded and followed suit, making his way over to the next door. He took a step inside, following Shinjimae (who opened the lights on) and Saki.

Upon notice, the detective noticed this room as a simple office. Watari eyed the polished wooden desk and rolling black office chair in the back, then the bonsai tree plant in the left corner of the room. He did notice the gigantic Monokuma portrait in the back of the wall, then the glass shelves with some trophies and other certificates to the sides. Yes, it was exactly as Watari would expect from an office.

"Anything suspicious here?" Watari asked first, turning to eye Shinjimae and Saki. "Other than the Monokuma painting, of course."

Shinjimae shook his head, an awkward smile on his lips. "W-we, uh, didn't find much. There's, erm, some trophies a-and achievements about the principal here though."

 _Hmm, given what I've learned about this place and Tsubaki, the principal should be…_ Watari nodded his head slowly, deciding to eye the trophies and certificates with a more careful eye. There, he saw the name of the principal: Akegorou Raburi.

Watari smirked dryly to himself. _Heh, I think I've seen his name more than the number of fingers I have on me. Hm… wonder what he's doing._

* * *

 _It was another bright day again- the sunlight was shining down brightly on the pedestrians, and Showa no Mori Park was as green and abundant in life as always._

 _Watari always liked hanging outside in nature. He loved to relax everyday after a hard day at work, sitting down and doing nothing but paperwork or handling crimes back and forth. It was tiring, and although Watari swore to follow in his brother's footsteps and repaint that empty spot in his heart, he had his days of exasperation, and so today he had walked out to merely enjoy himself in the sunlight._

 _Well, he would've been alone if not for the sight of Tsubaki's principal. It took only a few minutes of back and forth between the duo, but eventually it ended up with a walk together around the area._

" _Yeah, I work down the road from there. Did you need something?"_

" _... no… talk…"_

 _Yet, somehow Watari felt like this wasn't his first time seeing this man. He thought this was nothing more than a coincidental meeting, and he thought this might've been their first meeting together outside of the usual namesay here and there, but somehow Watari knew something was off._

* * *

 _Off? But what?_

"Watari?" Shinjimae was worriedly nudging the detective. The animal whisperer was close to him, lips pursed as he spoke nervously. "A-are you okay?"

Watari eyed the taller man for a moment, then smiled as he noticed the look of anxiety on the poor man's face. "I'm fine, I was just thinking about something."

Shinjimae looked bothered by this, but decided to nod his head. "A-alright then. Erm… S-so, yeah, there isn't r-really anything here to look at."

"Well then, sweetheart, is there even anything in this floor to look at?" Watari asked, raising a brow. "Other than the library, of course."

The animal whisperer awkwardly smiled. "Erm, w-well…" He thought for a moment. "N-not exactly. Most of the, erm, places here a-are empty. T-they're empty offices, t-though there's a lobby down the hallway where y-you can, erm, rest in! B-Blaise and Kyatchi might be there."

"Hmm, alright then." Watari nodded. "How about we search the rest of the rooms here and then see if we can find Aki and the others around here?"

"T-that's fine with me," Shinjimae hummed. Saki barked happily as a response.

With that settled, Watari and Shinjimae moved out from the principal's office, moving over to the next area. As Shinjimae said, the next room was nothing more than a simple office- it was almost untouched, noted by the lack of dust and objects inside of the room. Watari could see the squeaky clean office desk and chair at the back, then the small square-shaped table and sofas in the middle. He would've expected to find a few things on the shelves, but, sadly, there was nothing. It was a simply office with a lack of atmosphere or creativity- it was an office that lacked a name, a persona. It was just there, lost in existence.

Watari thought to himself, taking a look around this emptiness of an office. _I wonder if Monokuma made it like this, or if this place was truly left untouched._

Shinjimae awkwardly looked at the detective. "T-the other rooms are similar to w-what this place looks like, haha. It's disappointing, huh?"

"I suppose." The detective shrugged. _More to the contrary though. I wonder if Monokuma took stuff out here or something._

The animal whisperer was nuzzling against Saki. "Erm… Are you done? Er, s-should we check the other places then?"

Watari glanced around the room for another time, then nodded. There was truly nothing here he could investigate- was it grating? He didn't know, but he was interested in this place no matter what- well, its purposes of its cleanliness at least. "Mhm, let's keep going then, sweetie."

The duo moved on to the next area, and, as expected, it looked the same as the previous one. Watari continued to have these same thoughts in his head as he continued, moving around and around to each room until they have finished their little investigation. Now with that out of the way, Watari and Shinjimae were heading further down towards the lobby area.

Into the lobby room, Watari could see how serene the area looked. There was a large and wide round table that was made with marble, cushioned seats that were a navy blue surrounding it. On the middle of the table was a vase of flowers, though they were most certainly fake with the lack of water inside of the glass. Around the area itself were a few paintings, paintings Watari recognized were from either Picasso or Monet. Other than this, Watari did notice the chandelier atop- it was silvery with some golden tint.

Nonetheless, Watari wasn't too focused on that, only eyeing Shinjimae who happily smiled upon Akio and Kyatchi. Saki was barking at them happily as well, and Watari could only watch the group converse in curiosity.

"Surprised you actually decided to leave us for him," Kyatchi teased, smirking at Shinjimae whose face became red in an instant. The juggler chuckled before turning to eye the detective. "Found something amazing in this place yet?"

Watari shrugged with a small smirk. "Not exactly. Sorry to disappoint."

"That's fine. We were planning to look around the library later anyways." Akio threw the detective a kind smile, then moving over to pet Saki's fur. "Hmm, have you two seen Tomoyo yet? Is she still investigating the area?"

"Most likely, given that she's not here." Watari chuckled. _Or, she refused to see you guys._ Nonetheless, Watari wasn't sure, but he honestly didn't feel the need to message or text her. "Why are you two still here anyways? I find it much more relaxing outside or sleeping in your dorm rooms."

Akio shrugged. "We were just talking for a bit, and we wanted to wait for you two." He then clapped his hands together. "Right, Watari, how was your conversation with Masako? Did it end well?"

"She doesn't want you guys to pound on her door, so she said she's better." Watari snickered. "Yeah, she's not dead at least, and she definitely doesn't look dead."

"That sounds great." The actor smiled. "I'm glad you were able to talk to her. Did you tell her to talk to Tomoyo yet?"

The detective shook his head. "She's not comfortable being around her at the moment. If anything, just give her time."

"Of course. That makes perfect sense." Akio chuckled. "I'm just hoping they'll be friends again. It's so heartbreaking to see those two so distant from each other."

"Can't blame them though." Kyatchi shrugged, raising a brow as he eyed the actor. "Happy-go-lucky shit can't beat the sad shit so easily. You gotta let shit just simmer or whatever, I don't know."

The actor suddenly raised a brow, baffled. "Isn't that the opposite of what you do as a juggler though?"

"Like I said I didn't hate my job?" Kyatchi huffed. "Besides, it's not like I'm here to play analyst and look at all those little kids' faces. Out of so many kids in a show, only so many are being comforted in comparison to those who just want to get a kick out of mocking us."

"Makes sense." Akio nodded. "I guess I can't really judge you on that."

Kyatchi smirked and stuck his tongue out, musing with a playful, "'Course you can't. You don't own me~"

The actor awkwardly laughed at this, then stood up from his seat. He looked over to Shinjimae and smiled, then petting Saki who barked in response. "Hmm, hopefully Tomoyo will come here. I hope she's not avoiding us."

Watari raised a brow. "Oh, so you're planning to wait here after all?"

"Sounds like you think she won't come." The actor chuckled. "Well, I am. Pretty sure Kyatchi would rather head back though."

The juggler gasped. "Woah, you're judging me again?!"

Akio's eyes widened, suddenly sweating and shaking his head. "No, of course I'm not!"

Kyatchi snickered and easily hopped off from his seat. He stood up and stretched, straight in his position. "You're so easy to embarrass. It gets boring after a while, to be honest with you."

The actor groaned, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, well I never wanted you to embarrass me anyways!"

"Sure, sure." Kyatchi chuckled, then petted Shinjimae. The animal whisperer eyed him curiously before Kyatchi stepped forward to pet Watari as well. "So, you two have fun with Blaisey, okay? I know you guys wanna find Tomoyo, and I need my beauty sleep, sooooo… Yeah, I'm gone."

Watari couldn't help but smirk, teasing with an amused tone of voice, "What beauty sleep? You look ugly no matter what you do."

"Ahaha, well fuck you too then." But Kyatchi merely took it lightly and waved back, now leaving the area without another glance.

A sigh escaped Akio's lips. "He's a strange one, that guy."

"H-he's certainly interesting," Shinjimae mused, adding into the conversation with an awkward smile. "Erm, s-so are we going to wait for Tomoyo?"

Watari shrugged. "What if she already left though? Then we'd be wasting our time doing nothing."

"I mean…" The brunette was unable to counter against that, only scratching his head awkwardly. "Well, how about we message her? Maybe she'll respond. Oh, and maybe we can message Masako as well! Maybe she'll message us back if we ask her to join us here."

Shinjimae smiled as well, clapping his hands together. "Y-yeah! M-maybe we can investigate the, erm, t-the library together too!"

Watari raised a brow. He was completely and utterly confident that Masako would not be pleased with the idea. If anything, he imagined the survivalist to completely ignore the text about such a feat. "Uh, well, that's a bit of a large step from simply comforting her to a sudden 'let's play: investigate the library with all our friends like amateur sleuths!' sort of thing."

"Ah, t-true. Uh, I guess we got too eager there…" Nonetheless, that didn't deter Shinjimae from smiling. His expression was beaming with delight. "S-still, I'm sure she'll help us out sooner or later."

"You're such an optimistic bean," the detective mused. He then sighed, deciding to amuse the duo for a while. He took out his MonoPad and began to type a message in, sending one privately to Tomoyo.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Tomoyo)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Shinji and Aki are waiting for you at the end of the hallway. (02:34 PM)**

 **Watari: Oh, and if you want me to force them away- no, tell them yourself. (02:35 PM)]**

"Oh, you're texting her?" Akio eyed the detective curiously. "That's nice of you."

Watari smirked smugly. "Only because you guys really want to see her. I don't see how she was able to make you two fall in love with her, but whatever. I guess competition is weak."

Shinjimae's face turned completely red. "L-l-l-love?!"

Akio simply frowned, crossing his arms. "I really do not like how you made it sound like she's at a low bar there."

"Oh, so you do like her?" Watari noticed the shock on the actor's face, then chuckled. "It's fine. I'm not judging you for wanting a rebound."

"I don't like her! I haven't even talked to her as much as the others did!" Akio groaned, shaking his head as he slumped easily back to his seat. "And I know I'm trying to stop myself from thinking about the first trial and all that shit, but Wakana's just special to me, okay?"

 _Hm… right._ The detective's face fell. "Aki, have you been acquaintances with her before the killing game? Why are you so close to her?"

"Huh? That's a silly question." Akio nervously smiled, cheeks slightly red now. "She was the first person I woke up to here. I don't remember anything else about her… and as for my feelings, I… I actually don't know. It came off natural to me."

"That's… highly suspicious." Watari deadpanned. "Are you sure you haven't met her somewhere?"

"I mean, she probably saw me before since she's a big fan of what I do," the actor began, frowning, "but I haven't actually seen her before personally. At least, that's what I think."

Shinjimae shyly raised a hand. "Erm… i-if I may, maybe it's because of Monokuma? R-remember we don't really know what happened to us when we came here, r-right?"

"Ah, true." The actor blinked. "But if I remember Tomoyo and Ayako, then wouldn't Monokuma have failed in erasing our memories?"

Watari shook his head. "I mean, memories of who we're familiar with isn't that important. Besides, it would've been obvious you would've heard of Ayako and Tomoyo- they're both involved in your type of business."

 _Hm… then again, Akio remembered meeting me during that case I handled. I'm pretty sure Monokuma could've erased that from his memory, given it did involve crime and Ultimates._ The detective then pursed his lips. … _and my connection to Kiyoko. He knew she was important to me, but she's not just a simple client I've worked with._

The detective looked over to Shinjimae. His nose wrinkled. "Shinji, you're involved in the animal and pet business, right?"

Shinjimae slowly nodded his head. "Y-yes, erm, w-why are you asking?"

"What exactly do you do as an animal whisperer?" The detective crossed his arms, a serious expression riding on his face. "Yes, I know I have searched up about you and plenty of other Ultimates, but I only know the basics. Tell me what exactly what you do."

"W-well, I train animals and a-attend those television shows about animals and pets." Shinjimae made a barking noise, Saki barking in response. It seemed like the duo were showcasing a bit of their talent. Shinjimae smiled, then meekly turned back to the detective. "O-other than going onto shows with s-some guests at times, I-I also, erm, work with p-people to help train animals and, uh, help out at shelters and organizations."

Watari slowly nodded his head. "And out your entire life, you've never heard of the Ultimate Catkeeper, Hitomu Mizushima till now?"

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "W-wha-?"

"I'm not accusing you of anything, sweetheart, don't worry." The raven sighed. "I just find it highly suspicious that Monokuma might've erased our connections to certain people, and keep our relationships to others publicly."

Akio was baffled, blinking repeatedly. It took seconds before he could even manage a word, stuttering, "W-what does this mean then? That we all should've known each other?"

"It's nothing more than a theory, dear." Watari grinned dryly. "But, let's think about this for a moment- isn't it strange that we have never heard of Keishi before? The media loves to headline on survivors a lot, right? So, having an Ultimate Survivor who seemingly couldn't die from anything- wouldn't that make huge headlines?"

Shinjimae was unable to say anything, mouth hanging agape. Not even Saki could snap him out of it, or even Akio who was staring at Watari for more answers.

"If you think about it, our country is revolved around us- Ultimates. We always make the headlines and we're always under surveillance 24/7, especially when Ultimates were beginning to disappear or die from left and right. I think it is safe to assume as least most of our names have been talked about in public, so to think most of us were strangers to each other's name and talent is quite uncanny."

Watari then chuckled. "Sure, the police can make information public, but rumors always spread, and people are quite curious. No matter what, if something happens, it takes one single little crow to spill the beans and alert the entire nation itself."

Hearing nothing but silence, the detective simply smiled and clapped his hands together. "Or, well, that's what I'm thinking right now! I might be completely wrong, but my point is- we all should've known about each other, and if not, at least have heard about each other."

A ding was heard from the MonoPad.

The detective sighed, peeking over to check his device. As expected, it was Tomoyo, the woman having texted him with a simple reply.

 **[Tomoyo: Are they actually waiting for me there? (02:58 PM)]**

Watari groaned. Of course she would ask him such a simple question. He quickly typed in a message, then waited for her response.

 **[Watari: Of course. Just come here if you want to see for yourself. (02:58 PM)**

 **Tomoyo: I don't feel like speaking to them though. (02:59 PM)**

 **Watari: Yeah? Well, they're going to wait no matter what. (02:59 PM)**

 **Watari: They're stubborn, and you already know that. (02:59 PM)**

 **Tomoyo: Good point. (03:00 PM)**

 **Tomoyo: I'll see them there. (03:00 PM)**

 **Watari: Wooooow, atta girl :D (03:01 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari snickered to himself as he tucked his MonoPad away. He smirked over to Akio and Shinjimae who were now eyeing him curiously. "Don't worry, dearies. Moe will be coming here soon."

"O-oh, really?" Akio blinked confusingly, still baffled from before. It didn't take long before he snapped out of it, slowly smiling. "That's good then."

Shinjimae softly nodded as Saki nuzzled against his leg. "I-I'm glad she's coming! I-I hope she found something here."

"Yeah, no, I doubt it," Watari mumbled, though he made sure it was quiet enough for only him to hear.

A few seconds passed before footsteps were heard. Watari looked back, finding Tomoyo walking over to the group. He observed her for a few moments, noticing the slightly hardened look on her face and the paleness of her skin. He frowned- she was definitely not comfortable being around people, and it showed even through her facade of complete normalcy.

"H-hello!" Shinjimae greeted the woman with a wave. He smiled softly as she stopped in front of the group. "Erm, h-how was your look a-around this floor?"

Tomoyo thought for a moment, then slowly saying, "There wasn't much to look for. I'm going to assume you're planning to investigate the office- or, well, the library together later?"

Akio nodded his head. "Yeah, given that there's a lot to look for in there. Besides, in comparison to that place to the other places in this floor, it's quite suspicious. There's usually plenty to look for whenever a, er, floor opens up, but right now there's nothing other than that area. Monokuma might want to mess with us, but it's worth a shot."

 _Hmm, I wonder if they even checked the library on the first floor. Or, maybe Akio's unwilling to because of what happened in there._ Watari crossed his arms. "Nonetheless, Moe, how are you? You're not feeling like falling over dead, right?"

A slight tease with a slightly cold tone, but Tomoyo seemed to get the message. She threw Watari a look that screamed that she wanted to leave, but faked a nod and looked over to Akio and Shinjimae. "I'm fine. I'm still worried over Masako and I'm tired from what happened yesterday."

"O-of course." Shinjimae smiled gently at the woman. "That's, erm, t-to be expected. I-I was the same w-when Hitomu and Keishi died… erm…"

It was obvious the animal whisperer wasn't sure if comparing his own situation to Tomoyo's was a correct response. He was now silent, leading to Tomoyo only sighing and nodding her head.

"Understandable. I'm feeling fine to stand up and walk around at least." Tomoyo's eyes told a different story though.

"Anyways, it seems like that's all we have to say to you." Watari disrupted the calm atmosphere, immediately clapping his hands and grinning at the screenwriter. "Now, you can go ahead and leave, alright?"

Akio's eyes widened. "Huh? Wait, Watari, shouldn't we talk about-"

"We'll be repeating ourselves to Kyatchi and Yume and Masako too then." Watari smirked. "Do you want us to have the same conversation four times, including Tomoyo here?"

The actor looked wary. He eyed the detective for a moment, then slowly nodded his head and sighed. "I guess we can talk about it later then, or during dinner."

The detective winked. "Of course, of course~ Now then, Tomoyo my dear, you're free to leave."

Tomoyo threw Watari a small nod, then excused herself and left the area.

Watari chuckled. He was about to excuse himself from the area, but he felt a sudden ding in his MonoPad. A frown escaped his lips, and he was about to blame Tomoyo or Masako for the sudden notification, but seeing Akio and Shinjimae beginning to dig under their pockets, suspicion and worry escaped his face and he quickly took his device out.

There, the detective was more than uneasy and displeased when he saw Monokuma in the chatroom.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Monokuma: Heyoooooo! Sorry for the sudden announcement here, but I got too lazy using the speakers and decided I should be a normie and text like all you little shits! (03:14 PM)**

 **Monokuma: I know this is like the quickest as can ever be, but I got the new motive out! (03:14 PM)**

 **Monokuma: Don't question me why I have it out so quickly or else I'm going to kill you, uh, somehow. (03:15 PM)**

 **Monokuma: Everyone meet in the auditorium! Oh, and if you don't come, I'm dragging you out there myself. I know you little shits are stupid sometimes. (03:16 PM)**

 **Monokuma: Sooooo, toodles! (03:16 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

"Uh… what in the actual fuck?" Akio was the first to react, eyes blinking repeatedly and face paling. "He has a motive out already?! We've just gotten out of that stupid trial!"

"Ugh, I-I feel sick…" Shinjimae quickly bent down to hug Saki for comfort. "I-I don't like where this is going…"

"Yeah, I don't think anyone does." Watari smirked dryly at the animal whisperer. "But we don't have the luxury to just rebel against him, hm? We should head over to the auditorium and see what he wants."

Akio watched Watari who took a step forward, then frowned. "But couldn't you do something about? You have perks because of Monokuma, right?"

 _Not anymore._ The detective simply grinned, playfully winking at the actor. "It's not like Monokuma trusts his own ally to make motives or the like. We already know he loves making us suffer, so I won't be of help there."

The brunette bit into his lips, taking a step forward. "You became Monokuma's helper for a reason though."

"That was to stir drama, nothing else." Watari rolled his eyes. "Anyways, let's get going, or Monokuma will have our pretty little heads on a platter."

There was nothing else to be said, and so Watari led the way down the stairs and moving over to the auditorium. There was an uneasy atmosphere beckoning to scare the detective, yet he didn't let it bother him as Akio and Shinjimae followed him straight over to the auditorium (in which the door was already open and welcoming them inside). The detective bit into his lips, then stepped inside.

It seemed like everyone was already inside. Tomoyo was crossing her arms, almost defensive as she stood at the opposite side from Masako. The survivalist, on the other hand, was at the other side of the room, right there and hidden in a corner. Yume and Kyatchi seemed to be the only ones who were acting decently the same, the nihilist trying to pry the teasing juggler away from her.

"I wonder what that bear wants with us," Kyatchi mused, having noticed the last three people walking inside. "A sudden motive means nothing but chaos for us."

"Obviously." Yume rolled her eyes, keeping her posture stiff. "This is too sudden. I just wanted to sleep…"

Akio held onto Watari's shoulder. "Can you check Masako for me? I'm going to check with Tomoyo if she's alright."

The detective raised a brow, then sighed as Shinjimae looked at him expectantly. It seemed like Masako fell on the raven's hands. "Whatever you prefer, dear."

The actor smiled, then urged Shinjimae to follow. The duo made their way over to Tomoyo, leaving Watari alone to tend to Masako.

 _Alright then._ The detective scratched his head, sighing to himself. A moment passed before he made his way over to Masako, eyeing her hunched over body and curled up posture. "Dear, have you seen a ghost or something? It's just Yume, y'know?"

"W-Watari… I'm sorry…" Masako slowly turned to look at him. "I… I don't like this at all."

He could tell- the woman was shaking horribly. However, he had no idea what to say to her, only musing a soft, "That makes sense."

Which, of course, did not help her. Masako only continued to shake her head and pale up, and that only became worse when there was a high-pitched cry and confetti flew down from the ceiling. Gasps and confusion escaped everyone's faces, and within seconds a popping sound was heard and there was Monokuma, suddenly appearing from thin air and landing on the stage, microphone in hand.

"Yo! Welcome, welcome!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Yume asked, feeling more irritated as each piece of confetti hit her head. "You've never done this before."

"Yup, but experiencing and doing new things are fun!" The bear laughed, bellowing. "I'm just throwing out confetti because less than half of guys are here! Seeing how long you guys are lasting in this killing game is making me cry!"

"T-that's not funny!" Shinjimae was deeply hurt, insulted. "W-why would you throw confetti b-because of that?!"

"Because the killing game's working smoothly, and I need to reward your hard work for surviving this long." Monokuma smugly smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "God, it's so obvious. Are you stupid or something?"

"I-it's not funny!" The animal whisperer cried out, a mixture of anger and sadness written all over his face. "Y-you're laughing and celebrating a-as if you haven't done anything wrong! P-people died because of you!"

"Yeah, and that's what I've been planning all along. For a fucking 'killing game' to feature you guys dying." The bear rolled his eyes, groaning. "What, like you think I'm going to 'execute' Kiyoko and Keishi and Misaki through some fake props and shit? Besides, if you guys want to blame somebody for following along with my genius plan, blame them."

Shinjimae gasped. "T-that's wrong!"

Monokuma snickered. "Are you sure about that? I'm sure you guys are mad that Decebel and Ayako did all those tons of shit during their time alive. I bet people like Masako and Tomoyo are mad about it, especially since their friend Misaki could've lived if Decebel wasn't so stupid."

Masako and Tomoyo's eyes widened, faces turning white within instants.

"Hey, Monokuma, stop messing with everyone and just get on with it already." Akio immediately stepped forward, glaring angrily. "What's the motive?"

"Woah, aren't you excited~" Monokuma grinned widely, causing the actor to scowl in disgust. The bear chuckled now, suddenly reaching out from his back and taking out yellow envelopes- to be specific, seven yellow envelopes. He waved them about, looking over at the group eagerly. "This right here is the motive."

Kyatchi grinned. "Oh, puh-lease. Are you planning to threaten our families and friends again or something? You're seriously running out of ideas. It's sad."

"Puhuhu, but are you sure it's about your families and friends?" Monokuma simply smiled- that smile was too uncanny. "I'm not blackmailing them."

The juggler threw his arms out. "See? You just admitted it has something to do with our loved ones, given you said you're 'not blackmailing them'."

The bear shrugged. "Ah, whatever. Welp, who cares about what I say anyways- here you go!"

And, without warning, the envelopes were thrown to the air.

They flew higher and higher to the ceiling before slowly descending, falling down at a slow pace. One of the envelopes flew down to Watari, lightly landing on his open palms. He frowned, eyeing the other envelopes which individually flew to their targets, then analyzed the envelope.

It was a yellow envelope, obviously meant to be torn and opened. His heart was beating, his head was aching, and he couldn't help but feel his stomach churn around in unease. He was worried, and that was obvious.

… _I can't hesitate though._ And, without warning, Watari tear the envelope's flap apart and eyed the contents. Inside was a white sheet of paper- it was a letter, given the handwriting and Japanese characters written with black ink. Curious, Watari slowly took the letter out and began reading through its contents.

["Dear Watari,

We heard that your name was Watari Irino. It's a lovely name, and hopefully it suits you. We know you won't even remember us, maybe hold contempt as well if you even vaguely remember us, but we were given the opportunity to send you a letter, so here we are now. We don't know exactly what to say to you given our time together wasn't that long, but we can at least give you plenty of fortune and wishes.

From what your parents told us about you, you've become a detective. We heard about how you became a detective and we're really proud that you were able to become someone spectacular. Your brother wrote us a lot about you, and it's nice to see that you look up to him. Your parents are really kind as well, and we're really glad you're with someone who can love you so openly.

We hope you can reply back to us. We were given this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to check up on you and send you a letter, and we're hoping you can find it in you to write us back a letter.

Sincerely,

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"]

Silence.

Watari was silent, his usual disposition having completely disappeared from his face. He didn't know where to begin. What was this? Who was speaking to him? Why was this a motive? There were over hundreds of questions which were ringing through his head, yet an answer was close to none. He was blank. He actually had no answers.

He didn't even have an answer for the tears that were threatening to appear from the corner of his eyes. He couldn't even register what this was, nor why it was here to begin it. Why did Monokuma have this? What was the purpose of this letter? Was there even a purpose? Was this even real?

Maybe his throbbing heart was telling him it was, but his mind wanted to scream at him that it wasn't. Why was it screaming at him to run away, to crumple up the letter and beg for something far out of his reach? Why was his heart beating so fast, and why were there tears forming in the corner of his eyes?

He didn't know. It was scaring him. Why was it scaring him?

He wanted to black out. He wanted to fade into unconsciousness, yet his mind was a jumbled mess. He heard nothing but complete and utter gurgle.

* * *

" _Watari, hey…! … ing, we…!"_

" _Get away… me! You… to me! I… you! … away…!"_

" _No…! … ari…!"_

* * *

He couldn't even register what was happening. He couldn't hear what his mind was screaming at him, what he was even remembering or whose voices they belonged to.

Blank. Blank. Blank.

* * *

" _... purpose… here…? … escape…?"_

" _... please…! … do anything…!"_

* * *

No, he didn't know who they belonged to. Was it even his own voice? If it was, then who was the other voice? He didn't know, but there were thousands of other voices ringing inside of his head, and he wanted nothing more than for them to end.

"Well, looks like you guys are slowly understanding the situation, if not the tiniest bit of it."

Watari snapped back to reality. His blood red eyes were wide, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. He looked over at Monokuma- the bear was smirking at him, a malicious glint in his eyes. Scary. It was scary.

"I… I don't understand." Even Yume was shaking, her voice growlier than ever before. She was paler than what could've been imagined, her eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. "What is this?!"

"It's definitely fake," Akio answered instead, breathing heavily. He had his letter crumpled, finger pointed at the bear. "You're trying to mess with us again!"

"Hmm, are you sure about that?" Monokuma smirked. "Everyone's reactions here are pretty strong. How would the motive be fake if you guys reacted this strongly to it?"

"That's-!" Akio was unable to come up with a response, mouth hanging agape without a single word escaping afterwards. He shook his head and growled. "Dammit!"

"I-I want to get out," Masako murmured, burying her head under her legs. "I hate this place so much…"

Tomoyo was shaking herself, but she forced herself to calm as she glared over at Monokuma. "No matter what, I cannot believe this is real. It's impossible."

"Y-yeah!" Shinjimae quickly came to Tomoyo's side. "T-there's no way what's h-here is real! I-it's just impossible!"

"Hmm, really?" Monokuma raised a brow, amused. "I see you guys are trying to protect yourselves from reality. It's sad, really. You guys don't even understand what's going on!"

"Of course we don't!" Yume cried, shaking her head. It was so uncanny to see her so emotive, her face scrunched up in agony and lips quivering. "I… I don't understand any of this…! This is too surreal…!"

"Hey." Kyatchi quickly broke the tension, his voice deep, yet clear for all to hear. "Let's accept reality here- it's fact."

Akio's eyes widened. "Wait, Kyatchi?!"

"Our reactions to this are too strong, so it's obvious it's not fake." The juggler grinned dryly, though his face was red in anger. "Besides, Monokuma has proved to us time and time again that he's not afraid to hurt us as personally as possible. It'd be weird if he just faked something for a motive when he could've just played a game of Russian Roulette with our families or put out a 'kill under a certain time limit or be poisoned' sort of shit."

"Kyatchi…" Tomoyo glared at the man, but stayed silent afterwards.

"I-I don't want to believe it!" Shinjimae cried, tears falling down from his face. "I-I don't understand any of this, a-and I'm scared! S-so many things were going i-inside of my head when I was reading the letter, a-and it's scary… t-to think of the motive as something l-life-threatening is too much!"

"Everyone's scared, alright?!" Kyatchi promptly forced Shinjimae silent. "I don't understand what's going on myself, but let's accept reality and admit that Monokuma's thrown us in the fucking corner here! It's surreal, but the letters are definitely something worth taking a second look at!"

"You guys are such scaredy cats," Monokuma finally mused, chuckling. "Just because you don't understand the situation and feel so strongly about the letters you're already like this. I find it cute, in all honesty."

"Why are you doing this?" Tomoyo asked suddenly. She had her hands clenched, fists balled. "Why did you give us a motive so suddenly? And why use this type of motive? How would we even kill because of it?"

"Human connections and emotions are quite overwhelming, y'know?" Monokuma then smirked grimly. "Besides, I needed to punish someone, so I threw out this motive suddenly because of it. I can't let anyone go against me so easily."

The screenwriter was shocked. "What?"

"Don't worry about it. It's none of your business." The bear stood up proudly, arms crossed. "Anyways, since I've got you guys in a tangle, it seems like my job's done. And, remember, don't show your letters to each other! Don't want to punish you~"

Akio stepped forward. "Hey, wait, we're not done with you!"

Monokuma stared at the actor for a moment. He then laughed, twirling around and winking. "I have to disagree. This is goodbye, dear."

And without warning, the bear disappeared.

The uneasiness was looming in within the group.

"Fuck!" Akio immediately punched a wall. He heaved deeply, then shaking his head and turning to the group. "Now what?"

"I-I don't feel good," Shinjimae admitted, needing Saki over to comfort him. "M-my mind's screaming at me…"

"Heh, yeah, same." Kyatchi threw the animal whisperer a cold smirk. "I think we should hold off investigating the library right now, huh?"

"... I didn't want to search anyways," Yume admitted, now back to her usual cold demeanor. "I want to go back to sleep right now."

"Yeah, I guess so." Akio sighed yet again, pursing his lips. "How's everyone feeling? You don't need to tell me anything about what was in your letters, given Monokuma's words, but still."

"Just tired." Yume yawned, stretching her body out. "I might crash tonight, sorry."

"We're not going to plan on investigating anyways," Akio reassured, forcing a small smile to his lips. "We should just rest."

"I'll eat dinner later if you guys are planning to gather around and stay buddy-buddies," Kyatchi mused, throwing his hands over the back of his head. "I prefer being alone."

"Well…" Akio awkwardly laughed. "I'm not sure about dinner myself."

"I-I'm fine with anything," Shinjimae said, speaking softly. Saki was by his side as always, keeping him safe. "I-I'll do whatever I can to help, erm, e-even if I'm a bit scared right now…"

"Yeah, well, just don't push yourself, Shinji." Kyatchi's words were clearly spoken and comforting. The juggler threw a small grin at the animal whisperer before sighing,making his way out of the door.

Masako shakily stood up from her spot. She threw a look at Watari, then mumbled to him, "C-can we talk for a bit outside?"

Watari eyed her for a moment, then slowly nodded his head. "Yeah." He turned to the group and feigned a playful smirk. "Well, dearies, I'm going to go out and help Masako vomit everything out. See you guys~"

"Oh, okay." Akio waved hesitantly. "Bye then…?"

Tomoyo only threw the detective an uneasy glance, then looked away upon noticing Masako. She said nothing, fingernails digging harshly into her skin as she shook her head.

The detective took this as his cue to leave. He urged Masako to move, and she went, leading Watari outside the room. The duo escaped from the tense atmosphere inside the auditorium, then slowly walked over to a safe corner- near the door to Masako's room in the dormitories. They stopped, and Masako heaved a few deep breaths of air.

"You're sweating," Watari commented, eyeing the woman's forehead. "Did some memories or voices flash through your head or something?"

"Ah… s-something like that." Masako slowly forced herself to stand up, a pained smile on her face. "S-sorry, I honestly just wanted someone to walk with me to my room."

"Oh." The detective's composure loosened, slightly relaxed. "I see. Well, you're welcome, I suppose."

"I-I can't exactly ask Tomoyo right now, and the others are busy on their own." Masako worriedly laughed, scratching the back of her head. "So, y-yes, thank you for accompanying me."

"You sounded like you wanted to discuss something important with me, to be honest." The detective grinned. "You're tricking me, you sly girl."

"I-I'm sorry about that." The survivalist nervously averted her gaze. "But, well… I-I think you should rest too."

The detective raised a brow amusingly. "Hmm, and why's that?"

Masako bit into her lips, then pointed over to the folded letter in Watari's hands. "W-well… you didn't look fine at all when you were reading through your letter. Y-you didn't even talk afterwards till I told you to follow me out."

 _Ah, she noticed._ The detective hesitated, but slowly dropped his guard and mused a soft, "My reaction is similar to everyone else's, dear. Don't worry about me."

"N-nonsense. You talked to me earlier, so I'll do the same for you." Masako smiled awkwardly, though she tried to pull off a confident stance. "I-I have to assume that your reaction was even stronger than everyone else's."

Watari sighed. "I didn't expect it, to be honest. I have no idea where Monokuma got those letters from."

"I-I'm sure no one else does… W-we don't even know why he gave it to us so early when…" She stopped herself. She quickly stepped back, moving over to the door and slightly turning on the doorknob. "P-please don't mind what I said. I-I'll go sleep now, so please rest easy as well, alright?"

The detective rolled his eyes, but was definitely more relaxed as he grinned. "You're not my mom, sweetie."

Masako only chuckled lightly in response before heading into her room, closing the door behind her. The sound of silence was all that can be heard now, and Watari's own heartbeat.

 _I'm sorry, but relying on people is something I'm afraid of._

Watari knew everyone cared about him, but he honestly didn't want to accept it so openly. Everytime he relied on somebody, it failed him and he only suffered in the end. It's what cost Tadaomi his entire life, and to an extent, his parents.

So, out of stubborn rebellion, Watari went against Masako's words and stepped back outside, quickly making his way over to the top floor and into the library, all in favor to search the library by himself- all night, no matter how long it took.

Which, sadly, wouldn't be much, for Watari's own mind and body gave up on him, and he fell asleep midway through his search.

* * *

… And that is the end of that chapter! I hope you all enjoy it and anticipate what's next to come! There might be a certain thing in the future for this chapter I would have to warn you guys about, but I'll worry about it when I get to it! Also, if you didn't vote in the poll on my profile, feel free to do so if you want to vote for FTEs! Other than that, I have nothing much to say other than have a great day and good luck with whatever it is you're doing!

Here's the promotions right now!

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That is all I have for now! I'll see you all next time in the next update!


	32. Chapter 4 - Part 1, Part C

Hello! Yes, it is quick for me to get this chapter out, but given I have orientation coming up and I'll be busy this week, so I don't want to leave you guys hanging, so here we are! Hopefully there isn't too many weird grammar mistakes or whatnot, but enough of me! Let's dive into the story!

 **Meta King:** "Maybe, maybe not. If you pay me I'll let her die ;) Just kidding, please don't pay me."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Just happy to see you here, haha. Aww, thanks so much!"

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Aww, thanks so much! Yes, very interesting motive, indeed. Haha, passive aggressive notes only confuse me and make me want to write one in return. Of course, curiosity is key here, and it leads to murder~ Yes, blame Decebel and Ayako, those poor children. Monokuma's a good person, please don't hate. Interesting victim predictions, or uh death predictions in general! Thanks so much~"

* * *

" _Yeah, all of us are here."_

 _Watari smirked, eyeing the hooded men in front of him. His smirk only widened once they gave him some words, and he nodded, grabbing out a paper and passing it to them._

" _If they want to stop us, they can try. Oh, and make sure Tadaomi's safe from what happens. If he's ever hurt, I'll never forgive you."_

 _His words were simple, but blunt. The cold stare in his eyes made it certain no one would deny or rebel against his orders. The hooded men nodded, and made their way out. He was alone yet again._

 _Shuffling was heard. Watari looked back and chuckled._

" _Oh, you're still here? I thought you're with the others."_

 _A shake of the head. They said something to him, and Watari only smiled._

" _Mhm, right… don't worry about it. They're safe with me. I don't want anyone to get hurt as much as you do."_

 _A smile appeared on that person's face. They expressed their gratitude, and Watari only smiled softly in response- a genuine, soft smile._

* * *

"...ari! Watari!"

The detective heard himself groaning softly. He saw nothing but blurriness, but it slowly began to change as he adjusted to the light. A few seconds passed before Watari blinked, finding familiar faces looking down on him.

"Shinji…? And… Tomoyo…?"

Shinjimae and Tomoyo were there, looking down at him with worry on their faces. The detective's head was slightly aching, the man having realized he had fallen asleep on the ground. He slowly shook his head, forcing himself to move up.

"I-I should've known you'd be here," Shinjimae began, expressing his worry with a pout. Saki, like always, was by his side, wagging her tail to and fro. "Geez, W-Watari, you need to, erm, w-watch over yourself more."

Watari was silent, only eyeing the duo. It even took a few seconds for him to just register what Shinjimae said, quickly throwing on a small smirk and saying, "I'm fine. I didn't think I'd fall asleep here. The air must've been warm."

Shinjimae only pouted further, shaking his head. "D-don't lie to me!" He cried out, suddenly finding the confidence to grab Watari's hands and squeeze them. "Y-you need to rest and d-depend on us more. Y-you're overworking yourself…"

Watari's face went red. "It's not a big deal. You're too nice." He then glanced over to Tomoyo who was eyeing them, her eyebags slightly less profound than before. "Had a good sleep, dear? Why are you here?"

"Blaise and the others were looking for you. We thought you were with Masako, but you never responded to our messages." Tomoyo frowned, crossing her arms. "And, yes, I had a good sleep in comparison to you. You need to stop doing things by yourself. Shinji's right."

"He's not, and I'm fine." Watari quickly shrugged it off, frowning in return. "You should worry about yourself more instead of me. You're not feeling well because of the motive, right? Focus on that, and Masako."

The screenwriter shook her head. "That's why we're discussing over the motive at the table and was looking for you." Her expression then slightly saddened as she looked away. "... I'm more than willing to talk to Masako and be friends with her again, but I doubt she wants to speak to me so soon, especially with that strange motive Monokuma abruptly announced."

"... True." Shinjimae's face saddened, his grip on Watari's hands easily loosening. "I-I don't like what's happening… t-this motive is too s-surreal. I-I don't know why that letter got a strong, erm, r-reaction from me."

"Yeah, it's peculiar." Watari scratched his head. "Aki even crumpled up his own letter out of pure anger. It was quite hilarious to see~"

"He's just vocal," Tomoyo mumbled, scratching her own head in return. "Anyways, do you feel tired still? If you're tired, we can lead you back to your room and let you rest. We'll just tell the others."

"I'm fine." Watari waved the woman off coldly. "I usually do this as a detective anyways. Our work isn't that easy, dear."

Tomoyo frowned. "Like screenwriting isn't?" However, as if she had spoken out of place, she quickly shook her head and bowed down. "N-no, wait! Sorry, I didn't mean to sound harsh! I, uh…"

"Hey! I-it's alright! Uh… W-we're all tired!" Shinjimae awkwardly broke the tension, laughing nervously. "Erm… E-everything's going by too quickly and w-we're all emotional, so, uhm, i-it's not… uh… y-yeah!"

The screenwriter eyed Shinjimae for a moment. Her fierce gaze was upon him, yet slowly it was lost. Her shoulders and composure were slightly relaxed now. "... Yeah, true." She scratched her head. "I just have an idea on what that motive could mean, but it's agitating and heartbreaking to me."

Watari raised a brow, interested. "Really? What is it?"

"I'm going to talk about it with the others," the woman answered, taking a step back. She eyed them with an awkward smile, though those bags under her own eyes told them everything needed about her mental state of mind. "I, uh, think we should go now. We're wasting time."

"R-right!" Shinjimae quickly nodded his head, now turned to the door. Saki followed closely behind. "I-I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Whatever you want, dear." Watari merely shrugged, watching Shinjimae and Saki moving forward. He glanced over at Tomoyo who began to move, and so decided he had no choice but to follow suit, rubbing those crusty little flakes from his tired eyes.

The trio made their way down to the first floor, silence amongst them. The only relatively happy one out of the bunch was Saki, and that was primarily because of Shinjimae being by her side. It made Watari wonder what would happen in Saki were gone, but he quickly ignored that thought as the trio and their companion of a dog easily made their way over to the opened cafeteria.

And, once the trio made their way into the room, it was so obvious as to how tense the atmosphere was.

And Watari could blame it on a few people and events. One, he figured, was the entire discussion of the motive. Two, and that one revolved around what happened yesterday. Three, it was how Akio and Kyatchi themselves reacted to the motive- they were different, and it was obvious Kyatchi disagreed with the entire idea of a 'lie'. And, four, Masako was somehow inside of the room, and Tomoyo's heart froze at that moment.

It was also obvious that Masako was uncomfortable being inside here. Watari assumed Akio and the others dragged her out by force, and Masako only accepted this out of a want to hear everyone's input on the motive. Still, that did not wipe her uneasiness away from her face. It was obvious when her face was slightly relieved upon noticing Watari enter the room.

 _Aah, darn it. Fine._ Watari cleared his throat, and instantly faked a smirk, musing the group with a simple, "I thought I said it isn't wise to force Masako here. She's a very fragile soul."

Akio merely shook his head. "I did not want to leave her out on the discussion. Yume and Kyatchi helped convince her out."

"Not exactly help…" Yume muttered, though she didn't expect anyone to hear.

Tomoyo was shaking. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but shook her head. She held her ground, sighing and keeping calm expression. "If she wasn't comfortable being dragged out here, then she shouldn't be here."

"Wow, you're really harsh today." Kyatchi smirked dryly, only causing Tomoyo to harden her gaze. "You already assumed I was going to drug Saki's dog food today too."

Shinjimae darted back and forth between the juggler and screenwriter, then quickly clapped his hands together. "Erm, i-it's fine! Saki knows w-what's, uh, good to eat and, erm… w-what's not, so its fine!"

"I honestly think you're breaking down as well," Yume dryly spoke, looking at the juggler. "You only did that to stir a reaction from people, right?"

"... Of course not." Kyatchi chuckled. "I legit have no idea what you're talking about. Playing analysis on people is not like you at all, Yume. I could tell since you're so bad at it."

Yume glared at him, but simply muttered, "It isn't."

Shinjimae looked down at Watari, and the detective knew the animal whisperer was begging for something good to happen. The detective groaned inwardly to himself. _God, this is why people are so overwhelming at times. It's worse when they're in a group…_

Watari stepped forward, clapping his hands together. "Tensions are high, I didn't know. Totally." He pointed over at Akio and the others. "We're here to eat and discuss the motive, right? I rather not mess up the conversation with such petty talk… You're scaring poor Masako over there anyways."

Everyone instantly looked over to Masako. The survivalist only lowered her head in response.

Watari threw her a slightly worried look, then turned to Tomoyo. She only stared at him in return, and the detective decided not to bother. "Well, that aside, I'm quite hungry. We can eat while we talk, right?"

Akio's face softened up, and his lips curled to a gentle smile. "Yeah, we can."

And the actor quickly left to grab the food. In the meantime, everyone decided to take their seats. Watari glanced over to Masako who was sitting down at her own table, and he instantly sighed- it seemed like she was begging for him to accompany her, eyes pleading, and he knew the others would comment on it regardless of his desire to be left to his own discretion. He had no choice, he figured. So, that in mind, he quickly waved to Shinjimae and Tomoyo, then made his way over to Masako and took a seat down.

"You just let them drag you here?" Watari asked, eyeing her curiously. "Didn't I say you could just message them that you're not feeling well? They should be able to understand that."

Masako only laughed slightly. "T-true, but I do want to listen to what they have to say, given it's about the motive and all…" She went silent for a while. "... I-I seriously hope it's nothing but a fabrication."

"Mhm." Watari took another moment to eye her, then frowned. "Masako, are you seriously not planning to talk to Tomoyo? You two are at a stalemate right now, haven't you seen how the two of you look at one another right now?"

"W-well…" Masako's face saddened, lips curled upside down. "She looks mad at me, and I'm afraid she won't forgive me… I-I don't deserve her forgiveness either, so…"

Watari's expression only turned sour at this. "You're an idiot."

"I-I know I am." The survivalist bit into her lips. "I knew that from the start. Y-you didn't need to tell me."

"No, it's not that, it's just- ugh, how do I put this?" The detective was at a loss. He frowned and thought for a moment, scratching his head. Slowly, he continued. "You and Tomoyo are both idiots. If one of you apologizes, then the other one will forgive. Aren't you guys 'friends' or something?"

"I-I would hope so." Masako's frown turned to a soft, gentle smile. "I-I do like being with her and Misaki…"

Watari raised a brow. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but Akio arrived with the food, Shinjimae easily standing up to help set the plates and cups down- it was the one and only signal that the discussion around that goddamn motive would be brought up soon.

"Hey." The detective instantly turned to Masako. "I'll get you some food."

Masako nodded her head, and Watari moved over to grab some dishes and food. He silently grabbed what was on the table, then passing it to his and Masako's, also dragging in two glasses of water as well. He threw her a small smirk before sitting down, Masako now eating to herself.

And, with everyone beginning to settle down while eating their food, it seemed like the discussion was going to take place. And, like always, Akio quickly called forth for everyone's attention.

"So, let's get this out of the way." Akio threw everyone a kind smile. "We can't exactly talk about what we specifically got, but the motive can be described as this- a letter directed at ourselves, right?"

"I mean, yeah." Kyatchi shrugged, eyeing the actor. "I think it's safe to say it's directed at each of us personally in a way. We all reacted strongly when we got it, remember?"

"Yeah…" Akio pursed his lips. "Hm, does anyone have any ideas? Even though we reacted strongly to what was given to us, I can't recall anything that can link us to our reactions."

"Me neither." Yume grunted, gulping down a piece of meat. "It's annoying, honestly. I acted too stupid that time."

"Hey, that means you're human and not a ghost." Kyatchi laughed, but it was only him. The juggler plopped a piece of chicken into his mouth before continuing. "But, since I did think about it a bit, maybe it has something to do with the idea that we're all murderers or something?"

"Huh? We're going back to what Watari said?" Akio frowned. "I still genuinely think he was just messing with us that time."

"He's still with Monokuma, so you can't trust him regardless of what you think. Time frames don't matter here, but I'd rather trust him than not. He's a detective." The juggler smirked over to Watari. "Don't you have any ideas?"

"I'm not here to answer you." But, given the situation, Watari knew he had to answer. "Well, I'm theorizing that there was some memory wiping going on here- it seems obvious though, given our lack of knowledge before being locked up here. I believe whoever sent us the letters is someone relatively close to us. We just forgot who we're close to."

"I mean…" Yume frowned. "I relatively don't care about anyone. My parents aren't that worried about what I do, so…"

"Okay, but if you definitely remember them, then it's someone else." Kyatchi laughed. "I don't know who I would even remotely cry over. There's my troupe back at the circus, but I didn't really give a damn when Monokuma tried to threaten us with our 'loved ones'- ah, shit, but since I remember them, they're off the mark."

Shinjimae looked like he wanted to say something, but stayed silent in exchange for cuddling himself against Saki.

Tomoyo frowned. "I do agree with Watari though. Whoever sent us the letters are close to us, and we had forgotten about them. The only question is as to who, but I am assuming it's different from each of us."

"Aah, no shit." Kyatchi grinned, only making Tomoyo glare at him in return. "But I do have another question regardless of anyone's shit- were the letters recent or not?"

"T-true…" Shinjimae bit into his lips, forcing himself to participate. "Erm, w-we don't know if these are e-even recent. There's no date on them…"

"Mhm, true." Akio frowned. "I would love to believe that the letters were forged, but… I honestly don't know."

"Well, we can't do anything about it either." Kyatchi shrugged, rolling his eyes. "Maybe if we can discuss the letters in detail and read each other's, but Monokuma's a smart rat."

"I mean, he's just logical." Yume shrugged. "Whatever gives him the advantage, then that's what he'll do."

Tomoyo bit into her lips, thinking to herself. A few moments passed. "Uh, given what we've talked about so far, we've brought up the idea that we were murderers, right?" She gulped, knowing how tense the air was. "Maybe it has something to do with that?"

"What? Like our prisoner friends or shit?" Kyatchi laughed. "I doubt the cops would care about their prisoners."

"Well, given the information Monokuma told me, we apparently are murderers." Watari shrugged, simply eyeing the group without much of a care. "And I did bring up something with Aki and Shinji, and that is this- we might've all known each other before the killing game."

Tomoyo immediately widened her eyes. "What?"

"A-ah, right." Shinjimae nervously looked over to Watari, then to the others. "I-I do think Watari makes sense… w-we should've known each other before, uhm, e-especially if our talents are similar a-and how much attention Japan l-likes to give to us."

"I guess that makes sense." Yume scratched her head. "But I doubt anyone really cares about my talent."

"On the contrary, I disagree." Kyatchi grinned at her, only making her roll her eyes and groan. "Your talent is weird, let's be honest. Of course everyone's gonna be like, 'Woah! Someone has a weird talent!' and watch over you."

The nihilist averted her gaze. "Yeah, I would rather just die than to be watched over like a hawk."

"Hm…" Tomoyo cupped her chin, moving her fingers about as if to stretch them. "But I doubt the letters come from us. And… since we are under the radar of the Japanese government a lot of the times, I guess it's not farfetched to say they might be sending us mail or notes?"

"Well, even then, there are plenty of Ultimates in Japan- er, only Japan." Akio awkwardly scratched his head. "I doubt they'll send letters to each and every single one of us. There's academies in every region which houses over hundreds of applicants, after all. The government is too little in comparison."

"Wow, smartass." Kyatchi stuck a tongue out at Akio, but sighed. "I guess he's right though. But it just makes me think about what in the actual fuck they are doing if they can't protect us. We're stuck in a killing game and so many other Ultimates either die or get kidnapped."

"W-well…" Shinjimae awkwardly scratched his head. He had no answer.

Yume simply directed her gaze to Watari. "Shouldn't you know?"

… _I do. But…_ Watari's expression darkened. _It's obvious what the answer to that is._ "Sadly, the government has a reputation to hold. I mentioned it before, I would believe so, but we do tend to conceal or close cases. It wouldn't be a surprise that cases of dead Ultimates or missing ones get closed off from the public. The government would rather not bother breaking Japan's little code of honor."

Akio eyed Watari for a while, then simply smiled over to the group. "Corruption is always adamant, but I guess it's inevitable right now. Let's not worry too much about it." He then crossed his arms. "We're more focused on the motive anyways."

"... True." Tomoyo threw Akio a strange look, then eyed Watari. "I don't think we can get anywhere that far in regards to the motive. Everything we have right now is close to nothing."

Yume scoffed. "The only thing we got was that the letters are important, we don't know when they were written, and that we might know each other and are murderers. Woo."

"I don't see why we'd commit crimes though," Akio began, frowning. "Forget the idea that we're in a killing game, but why kill when we're living lives as Ultimates? In Japan's standards, we're living the high life."

"Standards don't mean shit, Blaisey." Kyatchi frowned. "It's not like we haven't been through shit before climbing up to just obtain that title as an Ultimate."

"I know that," the actor replied, sighing. "It's not like I wasn't living badly myself before I became an actor."

"Really?" The juggler grinned. "I somehow doubt what you're saying. People who live high and mighty say that while being so ignorant of actual shit."

"Can you just calm down?" Tomoyo snapped, glaring at Kyatchi. Her face went red upon the instant silence that followed afterwards. "... I swear, you're mocking everybody on purpose. If you want to vent out your anger, then at least don't attack people for it. It's not healthy."

Kyatchi looked over at the screenwriter, then smirked, rolling his eyes. "Says the one who was glaring at Masako earlier." His tone went immediately dry, darker than before. "Y'know, apologizing to her is as simple as can be. You just need to get over your pride."

"Excuse me?"

Shinjimae's eyes immediately widened upon this, worry across his entire face. "U-um, g-guys, let's not fight!" He was holding tightly onto Saki. "I-I know we're all, uh, emotional b-because the motive came out s-so suddenly a-and it's confusing, b-but we need to calm down!"

Masako was only frozen in her seat, trembling. She was muttering something to herself, and despite the lack of words that escaped her breath, Watari knew she was cursing herself.

"Seriously, we're at this again?" Yume scratched her head, groaning. "I thought it would've stopped since we just woke up."

Kyatchi grinned, staring down Tomoyo. "You've never liked me since the start of this whole shit, right?"

"W-why are we talking about that?" The screenwriter's eyes narrowed. Her fists were clenched. "This has nothing to do with anything. I only mean to inform you of your behavior!"

"Yeah, which is also because you dislike me. You should just admit that already." The juggler laughed. "But apparently you can't. It's hard for you to own up to shit and apologize to Masako."

"I don't understand how that has to do with anything!" The screenwriter glared into Kyatchi's eyes, staring him down in return. "I-I do not appreciate you looking down on me! What is wrong with you?"

"Holy shit, calm down." Akio quickly tried to deflate the situation, moving an arm over to separate the duo from moving closer. "Look, I know we're all stressed here, but Kyatchi, you're not helping out with anything. I'm sure Tomoyo has her reasons for… yeah, but I don't think we should just insult people left and right."

"Reasons for not explaining her side of shit to Masako over there? Bullshit." Kyatchi gritted his teeth. "I only agreed to drag Masako out here so Tomoyo can fucking apologize, but apparently she wants to put on an act of innocence or whatever. It's annoying."

"What? So it's just about them?" Akio blinked. "Why do you even care about them now? We're supposed to let it settle peacefully-"

"What, by lying and putting on fake smiles?" Kyatchi instantly shot down Akio, only surprising the brunette into silence. "I'm so fucking done of everything here. Playing cooperation with you all was a joke."

"You're not making any sense." Akio roughly grabbed Kyatchi's arm, keeping the juggler from walking out. "You were the one who wanted us to think seriously about the motive."

"Because you guys thought it was a joke! Legit, you guys refuse to believe in the fucking facts!" Kyatchi swiped his arm away, elbowing the actor in the process. He easily hopped out from his seat, glaring at the group. "You refused to believe that we could kill, you refused to believe that we're murderers, and we're refusing to fucking admit that people are dying and we look like we don't care!"

He then grinned dryly, pointing to Tomoyo. "Like, apparently the only person who was moping about Misaki was Masako. Apparently you only care about if Masako even remotely likes you still, like some fucking stuckup."

"Stuckup?" Tomoyo's face was entirely red. Her entire body was shaking. "Excuse me? H-how can you say something like that?"

"Obviously, because I'm telling you what I think. Ugh, screw it, I can't stand this anymore." Kyatchi shook his head, looking down at the screenwriter. He scoffed and quickly walked forward. "Just get out of the way. This is so fucking useless."

Akio's eyes widened. "Hey, Kyatchi! We're not done talking here!"

Kyatchi stopped to look over at Akio. He smirked. "Well, that's what you think, but I rather not be slapped right now. Seemed like she was getting ready to slap me." He threw a look at Tomoyo, then immediately left the room. The doors came to a close.

"Nngh…" Shinjimae was too busy covering his ears. He was curled up in a ball now, teary-eyed. "T-too loud… scary… scary…!"

"Hey, hey, Shinji, calm down." Akio quickly moved over to Shinjimae's side, worriedly patting his shoulder. It seemed like Saki was working on comforting him though, nuzzling herself against her owner. The brunette could only sigh now, biting into his lips. "Fucking… what the fuck was his problem?"

"Guess he's on his period." Yume snorted. "What? Seems like something he'd joke about- ah, nevermind."

Watari was unsure of what to say, only silent. He looked over to Tomoyo whose expression was unreadable at the moment, then over to Akio who was now comforting Shinjimae. Yume seemed to be busy with her food (or so he would think), and Masako… Watari looked over to Masako. She was pale, whtie as a sheet. The detective pursed his lips, then forcing himself to ask in a murmur, "Hey, you good?"

"I…" Masako looked over to Watari. "Can… can we leave? I…"

Watari instantly knew she was pointing over to Tomoyo, and so he nodded, standing up from his seat. He threw a smirk over to Akio and the others. "I'll talk to Masako, if that's alright with you."

"Huh? O-oh, yeah." Akio quickly turned to force a smile at his way. "Uhh, and if you see Kyatchi, can you talk to him? I don't think he'd want to talk to me, unless…"

Yume instantly glared at the brunette. "I would not waste my time with him."

The actor sighed. "Of course." He then looked back to the detective. "Sorry, but if you can talk to him, that'd be great. I'm sure he's just stressed out right now."

Watari simply raised a brow- he had no idea why he had to play the role as a helper. Nonetheless, he simply smirked, waving at Akio before gesturing Masako to move. The duo made their way outside of the cafeteria, and the detective directed Masako outside.

"You're okay outside, right?" The detective looked over to the woman. "I doubt anyone will be out here, dear. I think Kyatchi went to his room."

"I-it's fine, I just…" Masako was tearing up. "I-it's all my fault."

 _Degrading herself again, huh?_ The detective gestured Masako to sit down. He followed suit after her. "Look, I doubt anyone expected Kyatchi to just suddenly call out Tomoyo like that."

"Y-yeah, I know. Y-you already think of me as pathetic, and I know it's stupid to think like this, but…" The survivalist shook her head. "I-I shouldn't have gotten mad at her… t-this is my fault."

"Masako, it's not, I assure you." Watari immediately stared down the woman, frowning. "Yes, I think you need to own up to your own pride and apologize to Tomoyo, but the same thing can be said to her. Other than that, your feelings about what happened to Misaki were genuine and it's not a result of you being pathetic. Like I said, hypocritical because it's me, but you were close to her and it would make sense you'd feel so strongly to her dying."

"I-I guess…" Masako held her hands together, close to herself. "I-I'm afraid of Tomoyo. She might just be mad at me because of what happened just now."

Watari scratched his head. "Well, how about we try to ignore what just happened? You already look like you want to drop dead, sweetheart."

Masako blushed, embarrassed. "O-of course not." She then sighed, slowly nodding her head. "But… sure, I-I wouldn't mind having just a normal talk."

The detective winked over to her, smirking. "Exactly. Just focus on the good side of things, like the air, I guess."

"I-I guess so." Masako smiled softly, now slightly less fidgety and teary than before. "W-what should we talk about?"

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Masako?**

 _ **[Yes, don't be a prick and say no.]**_ / Say no because you're a prick.

* * *

Watari simply grinned, throwing her another playful wink. "Whatever you want, dear. I'm your therapist here, remember?"

"I-I'm sorry, but you don't act like one." Masako awkwardly laughed. "B-but, hm, let's see…"

 **Watari:** I'm fine with anything, dear. I'm not picky with any topic, well, unless you're the type who likes to engage in the world of fetishes and kinks.

 **Masako:** H-huh?! No, of course not!

 **Watari:** Just a joke, dear. Don't worry.

 **Masako:** Y-yes, I knew that. Uh… Hm, maybe you can tell me more about your upbringing? I-I mean, if you want to, of course. If not, then sorry.

 **Watari:** I'm fine with that. I'm assuming you want to compare mine to yours more?

 **Masako:** T-to be honest, I do. I know my upbringing wasn't that 'normal', so… I-I'm just curious.

 **Watari:** That's fine. Well, I have my parents, and my older brother. We live… well, in Chiba City, if you want to know. It's a relatively peaceful city, but as always, crime's pretty apparent.

 **Masako:** Y-yeah… uh, what is your brother like?

 **Watari:** He's someone I look up to. He's the reason why I became a detective, after all, but he's so much better than me- aah, don't tell anyone this though. I would rather not have them question me so much about him. You're special~

 **Masako:** I-I suppose I feel flattered.

 **Watari:** Let's not bore you about my brother though. How about you, if you don't mind? Did you… well, do you consider anyone family?

 **Masako:** … U-unfortunately, I do not have a younger or older sibling. I'm an only child. I-I do have my mom and dad, but…

 **Watari:** _She's uneasy. Hmm…_

 **Watari:** Well, you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

 **Masako:** N-no, it just makes me sad when I remember them, that's all. M-my mom and dad are kind people, but they're… they're just paranoid.

 **Watari:** _I'm assuming that's part of the reason why she's also paranoid and fidgety._

 **Masako:** Well… I-I'm complimenting again, huh? H-honestly speaking, they're… yes, they're not the best. Y-you can probably deduce a few things from my talent to their paranoia… a-and how I act.

 **Watari:** … Well, you were forced to doing things then, huh?

 **Masako:** Y-yes. M-my parents did get their paranoia from my grandparents, given they've fought in wars before, and given the horror that happens there, they've been obsessed with making sure they were safe. I… It's the main reason why I've been forced to learn how to survive. Ah, I-I probably told you this already, I don't remember…

 **Masako:** W-well, nonetheless, it was the reason why I was brought to the Shinohara Complex. I-it was hidden in the woods, and… i-it wasn't my parents' fault, it was my grandparents. T-they convinced my relatives, m-my parents that this was going to be a sanctuary, a place to retreat from 'the apocalypse' or 'zombies' or whatever hazard they spout out.

 **Masako:** W-we… me and the other children were forced to hunt animals down, e-even fight each other in cases of attacks… m-my parents kept telling me that this was to keep me safe, b-but it's just… I don't know…

 **Masako:** … What were your parents like, Watari?

 **Watari:** Mine? Well…

 **Watari:** _I guess normal? They weren't relatively laidback or strict or anything._

 **Watari:** My parents were usually busy making sure they can take care of me and my brother. They were usually busy with work, but they never neglected us or anything. They're as loving as I can ever hope as a child to them.

 **Masako:** Y-yeah, I should've expected such. I really was unlucky, huh?

 **Watari:** Well…

 **Watari:** _Shit, she seems sad again. I should probably end the topic._

 **Watari:** It's alright. Life's never fair, sadly. Reality's harsh.

 **Masako:** Y-yeah. Ah, sorry, I ended up dampening the mood again, Watari.

 **Watari:** You're fine. I'm not here to mock you for it.

 **Masako:** R-really? Well, b-but I do feel like you would've if we were talking when the killing game just started, honestly.

 **Watari:** Well… Whatever you believe then, dear.

* * *

 **Masako Shinohara's Profile Card: 2/2**

 **Note:** Masako's grandparents were the cause of her parents' paranoia, which caused a spiral down into her grandparents convincing not only her parents, but her relatives that the Shinohara Complex was a retreat from danger. The children there were forced to hunt for food and fight each other for survival.

* * *

"I-I'm sorry." Masako awkwardly laughed, moving up from her spot. "I-I just dampened the mood. I-I really should learn how to stop being so pessimistic, huh?"

"I said it's fine." Watari stood up as well, eyeing her with a raised brow. "If anything, I got to learn more about you, dear."

The survivalist awkwardly laughed at this, her black eyes slightly sparkling in response. "I-I suppose so. I got to learn a bit more about you too."

"I mean, my background isn't that special," the detective remarked, shrugging. "I just have my parents, ah, and my brother. That's all."

"Hmm, w-well, I don't know." Masako couldn't help but throw a small, playful smile at Watari. "It seems like you like your brother a lot."

Watari blushed slightly, but forced a smirk. "I mean, who wouldn't want to admire him? He's like a real life hero, the only one."

Masako chuckled softly. "I-I find that cute."

 _Ah, shit._ The detective scratched his head, now finding himself embarrassed. "Uh, so, are you alright now? Do you need anything else?"

"I-I think I should be fine. I am a bit scared of Tomoyo still, but… I'll try to get over it." Masako looked kindly at Watari, slowly making her move back inside. "T-thank you for talking to me. It calmed me down."

Watari sighed, scratching his head. "Whatever you want. Just message someone if you need something, dear."

Masako walked inside, the detective following behind. She walked a bit with the shorter Ultimate before turning to him. "I-I'll head back to my room. You don't need to follow. I-I believe Blaise wanted you to check on Kyatchi, after all."

"Ah, right." Watari sighed, scratching his head. "Yeah, guess I have no choice."

With that settled, the survivalist waved over to the detective and began to head to her dorm room. Watari was now left alone, pursing his lips. He glanced around the area to see if there were any signs of life, but, of course, there was nothing. The detective thought to himself for a moment, then sighed. With a soft grumble, he took out his MonoPad and opened up to the chatroom. Looking for that one specific person's name, he quickly clicked over to that chat and sent a message.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Kyatchi)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Watari: Are you inside your room? (01:12 PM)]**

Watari waited for a few minutes. Silence. He was impatient and he was about to send another message when his MonoPad buzzed.

 **[Kyatchi: Yee, did Blaise send you? (01:16 PM)**

 **Watari: Unfortunately. We don't need to discuss whatever you said back if you want. He just wants me to make you happy, I guess. (01:17 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Eh, cool :/ (01:17 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: Fine, if you want to, just come on, I guess. (01:18 PM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

He huffed. And honestly, that was all Watari needed to hear. He read the message for a moment, thinking to himself.

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Kyatchi?**

 _ **[Yeah, just check up on him.]**_ / No, screw what Akio wanted you to do!

* * *

 _Well, guess I'll just see how he's doing. Aki would probably get mad if I don't check on him, after all._ He then thought about Shinjimae, and his expression soured instantly. He wondered if Shinjimae was doing alright now.

Well, he didn't have time to think about that. So, deciding to move, he easily made his way over to where the dormitories were and walked inside to find Kyatchi's door. There, he gave it a little knock.

It didn't take long before the door creaked open. Kyatchi peeked outside, and sighed upon seeing Watari's face. He held the door open, allowing the detective inside before closing it again. "Yo," he began, eyeing the detective who stood over to the side of the room. "You're looking the same as ever."

"Is that a good thing or bad thing?" Watari asked, sneering.

"Hmm, both, though probably a good thing." Kyatchi chuckled in return, smirking. He easily made his way over to his bed, plopping down on his bosom. "So, how'd everyone act when I left? Blaise's pretty pissed, given he's been screaming at me to come out in my DMs."

Kyatchi waved his MonoPad over, Watari raising a brow in return. The juggler grinned, then kicked his legs back. "Watari, you're like legitimately the only person I can stand… oh, and Yume, of course, but I guess she doesn't care about me. Rip."

"Did you want her to chase after you?" Watari was slightly amused. "Do you like her or something?"

"Pfft, I'm not a fangirl or hopeless romantic, I'm just intrigued. She's not like the others here- she hates this world, like me!" Kyatchi grinned. "Ah, whatever, it's fine. I really don't care. I kinda just don't want to get out now. I really am tired of the group."

"I mean, given how they acted before, it makes sense." Watari shrugged, uncaring. "You did kind of scared Shinji off though. He was panicking."

"Really?" The juggler's eyes widened. "Well, shit, he didn't deserve that, though he is quite the optimistic brat. I'm guessing everyone else took care of him?"

"Yeah, Aki went to comfort him." The detective crossed his arms, staring at the taller man. "Hmm, do you dislike Tomoyo or something?"

"Not really, but given everything that's been happening, I've just gotten tired of how everyone tries to act like nothing's bothering them, so…" The juggler groaned. "Yeah, whatever. Let's talk about something else."

Watari raised a brow. "Like what? Your favorite magic tricks or something?"

"Pfft, hell no." Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Let's just talk about shit."

 **Watari:** Yes, but what? I don't exactly know what you're planning on talking about.

 **Kyatchi:** Well, whatever we feel like talking about. Hm… well, how about I tell you a bit about myself then, given you did actually come to check up on me?

 **Watari:** What, so a reward? Aw, that's sweet of you.

 **Kyatchi:** I know right? I'm so amazing.

 **Kyatchi:** Anyways, you know I hate my work as a juggler and all that crazy shit, right?

 **Watari:** Yeah, it's obvious given your face of total disgust. Unfitting from someone of your work, dear.

 **Kyatchi:** Yeah, I know right? Anyways, that small comment Blaise said did offend me, slightly. My family's dysfunctional as fuck.

 **Watari:** Ah, I see. I suppose that's why you made that remark.

 **Kyatchi:** Yeah, basically! I mean, my parents didn't abuse us or anything, but they never spend their bills. My dad liked to gamble away the budget and my mom was just drinking. It's tragic as fuck, right?

 **Watari:** I guess… seems like you're not bothered about it.

 **Kyatchi:** Nah, it's cool. I'd rather not mope about stuff. We already left before my parents could just fucking skip town on us, after all. We had to fend for ourselves, but, hey, at least we didn't have to worry about debt, right?

 **Watari:** Yeah, I suppose you have a point.

 **Kyatchi:** Of course, I always do. We also ran away from foster care, so I guess that's something. Hmm, my older siblings took on the role of actual diligent parents, and my younger sibling was… well, basically like me, trying to learn from them.

 **Watari:** _There was a slight sour expression on his face._

 **Kyatchi:** Well, TL;DR- family life sucked, and one thing ended up with another that led me to having to fend for myself. And, by that, fending for myself meant joining the circus to earn some cash.

 **Watari:** Hmm… Interesting. You hate being a juggler because you had no choice but to be one?

 **Kyatchi:** Yeah, I guess. I was just good at juggling, so why not use that skill to earn some cash? Didn't mean I liked being a juggler. It's fucking boring. You do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and… well, you get the gist of things.

 **Watari:** Yeah, that makes sense.

 **Kyatchi:** Well, that thing ended when I went to a travelling circus. And that's where I get the attention and boom, instant success and money for the family. Ain't it happy?

 **Watari:** _Okay, he's definitely leaving out some stuff. Hmm, rather not worry him about it._

 **Watari:** Well, not exactly happy, given you're now stuck here.

 **Kyatchi:** Yeah, fuck, that's true. Life seriously does hate me. What did I ever do to deserve this? Ah, right, everything.

 **Watari:** Well, you got that right.

 **Kyatchi:** Haha, fuck you, but thanks.

* * *

 **Kyatchi Sesshoku's Profile Card: 2/2**

 **Note:** Kyatchi talked a bit about his background, though he obviously glossed over a few details. His mother was a drunkard who paid attention to her friends while his father gambled money away. Kyatchi and his siblings ran away before his parents can skip town, and they were left to fend for themselves. Somehow, along the way, Kyatchi ended up using his skills as a juggler to help raise cash and joined a travelling circus company.

* * *

"Boring story, huh?" Kyatchi grinned, looking playfully at the detective. "I have doubts you even care that much."

"Aww, of course I care. I get to learn more about you, sweetheart. It's a rather good way to past the time too and calm yourself down." Watari winked over to the juggler. "But, other than that, I'm assuming you're not going to bother being around the others now?"

The juggler snorted. "Of course not. I don't really like them, but, I mean, when someone dies again, then I'm forced there." He then smirked darkly. "And I'll be blamed as a suspect again, like always. This time, maybe everyone would actually vote for me or shit? Ah, unless I'm the one who died, of course."

"You really like to push your own luck, huh?" Watari was rather amused at this, smirking at Kyatchi who was only smirking in return. "But you won't have the pleasure of being near Yume if you stay indoors."

"Meh, I can force her to come here. Besides, I don't want knocking over at her door." Kyatchi shrugged. "I'm not going to be a fucking hermit or NEET."

The detective hummed silently, taking a step over to the door. "I'm assuming you're not going to apologize to Tomoyo or the others then?"

Hesitation escaped the man's face, but that hesitation disappeared as he only chuckled. "Just tell them I want to fuck off to the nearest place to death- sleep."

The detective slowly opened the door. He looked over to the juggler and nodded, smirking with a playful, "Sure, then I'll see you in the next trial, maybe," and then closed the door behind him as he stepped out.

 _I don't understand him at all. Everytime time passes by, the less I understand about him._ Watari frowned, thinking to himself. Finding nothing but more questions in his head, he merely frowned and decided to check on his MonoPad again. There, it seemed like the group chatroom was lively again- though, how lively it was considering the amount of people dead and how many were talking was up to the detective himself.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Akio:** Guys! Let's not get our moods dampened! I'm sure this is what Monokuma wants, after all. (02:36 PM)

 **Akio:** Oh, and how's everyone doing? (02:38 PM)

 **Shinjimae:** I'm feeling better now thanks to you. Saki says thank you too! (02:43 PM)

 **Akio:** Aww, tell her it's not a problem! We care about you, after all. (02:43 PM)

 **Shinjimae:** Yeah! (02:44 PM)

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Quite tragic, in all honesty. Watari knew Yume wasn't the type to really chat, and he had doubt that Kyatchi would talk to Akio of all people (or Tomoyo as well), and the other two women, Tomoyo and Masako, well… they had their own problems they had to resolve. Watari wasn't sure when they would resolve it or even how, but it was obvious they needed to settle things out.

Well, it didn't matter, he supposed. He was finally alone now, and Watari wanted nothing more than to spend time to himself. Sure, he was quite worried about Shinjimae and even Tomoyo, but he knew they would rather spend time alone. Tensions were running high, somehow at an abrupt and really intense pace than he would expect. Strange, it was definitely strange.

 _Hm… well, guess I should spend some more time upstairs. I need to find some clues regarding our situation._

Watari thought back to when Tomoyo and Shinjimae found him asleep, and he grimaced. He promised himself to not fall asleep again, and quickly made his way up. There was nobody around, just like he expected. Pleased with the lack of voices or breaths, he made his way over to the library and easily settled down in a spot, now beginning to look through the room once more.

There, like he would usually do, spend hours looking through each file and book, making sure he would find some things of use- at least, one thing, of use. Hopefully, he just had to hope.

Hours would pass by, and slowly and silently Watari would compile a few notes inside of his head. They weren't much, but they were still something to note, of course.

One, cults were still relevant. Apparently there were plenty of files which suggested a bountiful of cults in Japan. Seemed like some branched off to the United States and the United Kingdom. The largest one at the moment seemed to be focused on the idea of a parallel universe or other world.

Two, the significance over numbers intrigued him. It made him wonder if there was anything significant in the idea that when he and the others were first here, there were fourteen of them. Fourteen, which would symbolize an angel. Quite interesting, though Watari himself was not religious.

Three, he did find a file about a few disastrous events in Japan. Watari noticed they were quite old, though the ones he did spot at the bottom were more recent. Well, there didn't seem to be anything that happened in the current month here, he noticed.

And four, it seemed like there was nothing on Monokuma. It seemed like anything about Monokuma was sealed off from humanity's knowledge. Then again, Watari figured, Monokuma wouldn't want any personal information about him being leaked, right? Still, quite interesting to take note of.

Watari sighed. Hours was passing by, and, of course, he didn't find much information. Still, those that he did fine were quite intriguing. He did want to ponder over them for a while, and especially take note of them.

He stood up from his seat. He supposed he could take a rest and continue tomorrow. He noted down mentally where he stopped, and then headed down to the first floor to go into his room. He opened his door, and walked inside before closing it.

The lights were already on. Apparently he didn't close them. It didn't matter, his blood red eyes set on the desk inside of his room. It was filled with notes and plenty of information. He smirked to himself, and made his way over to sit down.

There, he grabbed his pen, and began to jot down his notes.

But, the notes he wrote were not only the ones he had thought of during his time in the library.

No, there was something else he had in mind.

Maybe to satisfy his own worries? Maybe to satisfy his own curiosity?

He didn't know, but he continued to jot stuff down before laying down the pen, and huffing with a sigh.

* * *

... And that is the end of the chapter! I don't have much to say other than I have posted out the poll for who you think could be the victim! Please vote there if you like, haha.

And here are promotions!

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** (Heroi Oscura)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** (Prince PokePersona)

 **Danganronpa: Tall Tales and Other Murders** (ChaoticMercy)

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** (RioA, or moi XD)

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** (SanityRequiem)

 **Our Ghosts Return** (TheRoseShadow21)

Well, I have nothing much to say. Other than that, see you all in the next chapter!


	33. Chapter 4 - Part 1, Part D

Hello there! I am finally back from my tour, and gosh that tour actually helped me focus on writing a lot! Sure, there was the whole sightseeing and stuff, and I do enjoy that of course, but being on the bus without wifi made me focus on actually writing my chapters out! Now I am ahead of the game, and I'm very happy about it! I would rather spend my days in the bus writing than sleeping, haha, I'm not much of a napper, after all! Anyways, I am both ahead in this story and in Disparity (actually writing the trial chapter out, finished the truth bullets even though that's easy), so aha! Oh, and an update to Tipsy will come out sooner or later, lol. Ahem, enough of me talking, let's get into the story!

 **Meta King:** "I know right, what a loser."

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Oh my gosh a long review, you're really putting Lupus on a run here. Tensions are high and I like it! Aww, thanks, and honestly I would let you tear someone's throat out cause uhh... Yes, cultish vibes! I love cults, but Sparky loves cults as well, more than me. Cults are amazing to incorporate into stories, or that's probably because they're fun in my eyes. Weird stuff is great! Kyatchi is amazing though, let's not lie. He's obviously best boy here, no debate on that. Haha, devil's advocate, hello. But analysis time! Analyzing things are great. Oh, yes, you noticed that, I make those things obvious lol. Oof, true, good point. Everyone doesn't seem to care, and it's creepy in my eyes. Haha, poor Tomoyo. Masako is a cutie, and aww thanks! I'm glad I'm doing Kyatchi justice so far. Of course, deaths are inevitable. Oof to those victims though. Also, thanks so much! You're amazing."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READERS: Prince PokePersona and Lupus Overkill!**

* * *

 _Everything ended in a disaster, but it wasn't the disaster that he wanted to bear witness to. It was supposed to be a disaster that marked the beginning of a new world, yet it wasn't- this disaster brought joy to the community, and unrelenting hatred to those who wanted this catastrophe._

" _You're… in this, right?"_

 _And he would look up, glare at them in utter disgust. How dare they ruin everything. How dare they ruin what was meant to be the beginning of a new world. He spat at them, told them to get lost. Sadly, he was mocked and slapped._

" _Like you have any right… us. Sure, you might be… we're superior to you."_

 _They were mocking him continuously, laughing at him. They won, so he was nothing more than a rat now. He was vermin, nothing more than someone to be treated as scum._

 _Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't. It didn't matter, that's what their petty little heads could think, after all._

" _Still, I'm surprised you knew. It caused… it's fine. You honestly wouldn't care… that, right?"_

 _Of course he would. That look of pure anger and worry escaped him. Those eyes were still brimming with life, after all._

" _It's quite sad… you. Oh, you… detective, right? No wonder."_

 _It wasn't a surprise. He merely glared at them. Giving them anything- his pleas, his begs, his voice was going to be worth nothing, after all._

" _... others, y'know?"_

 _He already knew that, but they were rubbing salt into his wounds. He cursed them inside of his head, and kept his lips pursed._

 _Something about a game. Something about righteousness. Stupid, worthless, disgusting. He blacked out._

* * *

Watari groaned, founding himself waking up quite early. Looking up, he met the familiar look of the bland ceiling. Like always, his blood red eyes would turn away from that, and the detective would stretch his arms out before setting himself down and grabbing his MonoPad.

Turning it on, Watari saw a message from Shinjimae. It seemed like he woke up early as well. The detective chuckled, and decided to message back.

 **[Chatroom: (Watari/Shinjimae)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Shinjimae: Hey Watari! (06:23 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I woke up kind of early again, hehe! Just wanted to see if you're awake! (06:23 AM)**

 **Watari: Yeah, I'm here. What's up? (06:26 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: You're awake! Hi! (06:26 AM)**

 **Watari: Hi :) (06:26 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: :D (06:27 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: How are you? (06:27 AM)**

 **Watari: I'm fine, but I'm more concerned about you. Did Aki help you out well? (06:28 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Mhm! Of course he did! (06:28 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: He's a really nice person! (06:28 AM)**

 **Watari: Well, whatever you believe then, sweetie. (06:29 AM)**

 **Watari: Did you check on Tomoyo? (06:29 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I wanted to, but she ran away after you left and I was busy panicking. Yume left too, so only me and Blaise were alone. (06:30 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Blaise told me a lot of things too! He told me he actually knew you before! I think he even said something about a friend of yours! (06:31 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: He said your friend used to like this girl! I find it cute! (06:31 AM)**

 **Watari: What? (06:32 AM)**

 **Watari: Why is he gossiping about me? And I do not have any friends. (06:33 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: But I'm your friend D: (06:33 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: I'm guessing he's talking about your coworker then! Or an acquaintance. Nonetheless, I find it cute! (06:35 AM)**

 **Watari: Sure, alright then. (06:35 AM)**

 **Shinjimae: Uh, I'll you later! I'll go get myself ready. (06:36 AM)**

 **Watari: (Type here…)]**

Watari kept his brow raised, lips pursed and curled to a frown. A plentiful of questions rang through his head- which coworker? Who? Why gossip about him in the first place? The detective only had bad feelings about this, and he knew he had to address them to the actor himself later.

Well, right now, Watari had to get himself dressed up and ready. The detective placed his MonoPad down, then made his way into the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, then splashed his face and cleaned himself up. He finished up with the change of attire and the combing of his hair, then brushing his teeth before finally moving back out.

He grabbed his MonoPad again, checking the time. It seemed like it was about time for-

"Ahem! Wakey wakey, my lovely Ultimates! Don't be hermits and stay active for once! … Not like I can tell you what to do though, I'm not the stereotypical tiger mom."

One way or another, Watari was used to these announcements. But, at the same time, Monokuma's announcements were unique in one way or another, and Watari had slept through a few announcements. He would've pondered over what he missed, but he would rather not ask.

A knock on his door. Having an idea on who it was, the raven made his way over and unlocked it, easily opening it up. A grin escaped his lips. "Hey there, Shinji."

Shinjimae smiled widely, Saki by his side as well. She let out a happy bark as the animal whisperer threw his arms around Watari. "N-nice to see you again!"

"Geez, we haven't met since hours." Watari's cheeks were red, but he awkwardly threw an arm around Shinjimae in return. That seemed to get the animal whisperer happy, after all, and Watari did feel bad considering what he's done to him before. The raven observed the taller man for a moment before crossing his arms. "Are you planning to talk to Tomoyo or even Kyatchi and Masako today? You're quite the 'friendship alliance' leader, after all."

"Eh? N-not really, hehe." Shinjimae was fidgeting from his spot, blushing. His smile was still on his face, like always, though it saddened upon realizing what else Watari had said. "T-the others… Erm, I-I don't know, I'm afraid… T-they might end up getting mad again."

"Yeah, but they're not mad at you, sweetie." Watari threw him a slightly confused glance. "Masako's more… sad than anything else, and I believe that while Tomoyo is mad at Kyatchi she does want to stay friends with Masako. Kyatchi… Well, he's an enigma no matter how lightly you want to put it."

"I-I don't understand what, uh, h-happened." The animal whisperer was now uneasy. "I-I don't believe Kyatchi, uh, w-would do such a thing… H-he's not a bad person, s-so maybe he's trying to act l-like an enemy for a reason? I-I don't know, erm, but what he said to Tomoyo…"

"She's not going to get over that, let's be honest." Watari shrugged, stepping forward. "I'm not even sure if she'll head to the cafeteria. I'm sure Akio will, Yume a maybe."

Shinjimae nodded his head. Saki continued to rub herself against him. "W-well… I guess we should, erm, head over to b-breakfast."

Watari nodded. "Of course, dear, whatever you want."

And with that settled, the duo headed over to the cafeteria. It wasn't a long way over there, of course, and within seconds the duo reached their destination. Watari opened the door for Shinjimae who thanked him with a wide smile, then Saki who walked inside with her wagging tail.

Walking inside, it seemed like the duo were alone, which also meant no one had cooked anything. Watari was slightly peeved by this, thinking back to Decebel's food, but said nothing and walked into the kitchen. Shinjimae and Saki quickly followed suit.

"W-what should we make?" Shinjimae asked, eyeing Watari with a curious smile. "I-I don't eat meat, so… Ah, n-not that I want you to not eat meat! I-I'm just talking to myself!"

"It's fine, you're good." The detective smiled amusingly. He began rummaging through the shelves and fridge, even the boxes and crates. "Hm… What's your favorite food? I can cook."

Shinjimae's eyes widened. "Ah, n-no, it's fine, uh, I can cook for myself!"

Watari smirked, amused at the animal whisperer's flustered state. "Cute. But, seriously, I don't mind. You prefer fish? Or would you want vegetables this time?"

"Erm… W-well…" The animal whisperer blinked a couple of times, then sighed in defeat. "M-maybe vegetables this time…"

"Hm, alright then." Watari grabbed some vegetables from the fridge then, beginning to do his work. He took out the cutting board and placed the vegetables on, then grabbed the knife and began to cut. He easily cut through the vegetables and placed them to the side, cutting those that remained as he went along..

Shinjimae was silent for the entire while. He only watched him in silent awe and amazement before slowly asking, "Erm… d-do you cook often, Watari?"

"Huh? Ah, yeah, I do. My parents were usually busy and my brother…" Watari slowly went silent. He quickly placed the vegetables into a wok and began to cook, sautéing the delicacies. The detective stayed silent for a few minutes. The wok was hot, and the vegetables were greasing up with the sauces and spices he added in. He looked over at Shinjimae, analyzing him, then finally, he released a sigh. "... I taught myself how to cook after my brother went blind."

"W-what?" Shinjimae's eyes widened, and he immediately jumped. "O-oh my god, I didn't know! Uh, I-I'm sorry, I…"

"It's fine. You didn't know." Watari chuckled, smirking at the man. He continued to stir the vegetables. "It shouldn't really bother me either, but I do hate talking about myself at times. I prefer thinking about other things."

"B-but still…" The animal whisperer cupped his hands together. "I-is your brother, erm, fine? B-being blind and all…"

"You're too sweet." Watari's expression softened. His trust in the animal whisperer was slowly rising, and he knew he was softening up to him- to everyone, even if slightly. "He's fine. It took him a while to get used to it, but if anything he was more bothered over losing his job. He's still kind and caring towards everyone though like always, so I'm just glad it didn't affect him too mentally."

Shinjimae's shoulders relaxed instantly at this. Saki's tail continued to wag in the meantime. "I-I see. It's great that he, uh, h-has someone like you to t-take care of him."

 _It's my fault he went blind though. You shouldn't say that._ Watari only said nothing at this, but it was obvious his smile disappeared. He went back to focusing on the food at hand. A rather light dish, yes, but the detective figured Shinjimae would rather not gorge himself on a savory tart or some pasta pesto.

A few more minutes passed before Watari turned off the heat. The sautéed vegetables were now steaming and ready to be served. He winked over to Shinjimae who clapped his hands together happily, then looked down at Saki. "There's dog food here still, right? Can the sweetheart eat vegetables, or…?"

Shinjimae looked down at Saki, and began barking over at her. Saki barked at him in return, and the animal whisperer smiled over to Watari. "Erm, s-she said dog food's fine. She's not picky, hehe!"

"Oh." Watari blinked, then clapped his hands together and glanced over to the wok. "Ah, that's good then. Seems like we have breakfast settled."

Shinjimae nodded his head and quickly walked over to the wok. He took the wok down and settled the vegetables to a wide plate, then brought it outside to the cafeteria. Watari simply sighed in return, grabbing the needed plates and utensils (and the bowl and dog food for Saki), and followed.

Shinjimae excitedly made his way over to a seat, having settled down the dish. He smiled happily at Watari. "T-thank you for the food!"

"Mhm, sure." Watari simply hummed in acknowledgment to Shinjimae, grabbing his food and beginning to eat. At this, Shinjimae followed.

"Um…" Of course, it was obvious that the taller man wanted to talk. The silence in the air was too tense, after all. "S-so, since Blaise did talk, erm, a bit about it… U-uh, I was wondering, b-but have you ever had a crush before?"

"A crush?" Watari raised a brow, then smirked. "Shinji, why are you asking?"

"I-I was just curious!" Shinjimae's face turned immediately red. He was fidgeting in place. "Erm, and I-I would like to know more about you, so…"

Watari couldn't help but chuckle at this, enjoying how flustered the man was. "Well, then how about this?" He raised a finger up, obviously going to tease with a little, "What if I say I like you?"

"H-huh?!" Shinjimae's face turned redder than before. His eyes were wide as saucers, suddenly jumpy and fidgety. "W-w-what do you by that?!"

Watari snickered. "Nothing special, of course." He backed off, however amusement was still written over his face. "Why? Did you want me to confess to you?"

"A-ah, erm, no!" Shinjimae quickly averted his gaze. Saki easily nuzzled herself against him. He was now silent, chewing into his food. A second or so passed before he threw a look to Watari, pouting with a little, "Y-you're so mean."

Watari simply smirked in return. "I feel like you should've known that by now, sweetheart."

Shinjimae threw him a look, then sighed. "Y-yeah… I should've." He bit into his food silently now.

The detective frowned. He observed the taller man for a moment, then decided to shake his and ask a small question: "I'm assuming you like someone then? Or is it just an icebreaker?"

"Ah, well…" Shinjimae's face was immediately red again. "M-maybe. I'm not, erm, sure…"

"Pfft, I'm not here to mock you." Though Watari knew that was a lie- he already teased him anyways. "I'm not going to ask who it is. I'm not that nosy."

Shinjimae couldn't help but smile softly, laughing. "B-but isn't it, uh, a detective's job, to, erm, t-to be nosy?"

"Yeah, but I'm not going to pry into your love life." The detective snickered. "If you want to tell me, then tell me. If not, then that's fine. Your love life is your secret to keep, darling."

The animal whisperer looked impressed, though his doe eyes fell back into its usual sparkle as he murmured a soft, "A-alright then."

The duo would continue to eat for a while, but it didn't take long before the door opened. Watari would look back, finding Akio walking inside and eyeing them. A smile appeared on his lips and he immediately approached the shorter two.

"Yo, glad you two are eating." Akio chuckled to himself, scratching his head. "Is it only you two here?"

Shinjimae smiled happily in return, waving at him. "Ah, yeah. I-I'm happy to see you here, Blaise."

"Mhm, glad you're feeling better." Watari watched the brunette who easily ruffled Shinjimae's hair- the detective frowned as he noticed how happy the animal whisperer was because of it. Nonetheless, Akio moved his hand away after a few seconds, focusing his attention elsewhere. "I'm guessing the others never came out yet, huh."

"Nope." Watari shrugged. "I shouldn't be surprised though."

"I mean, I haven't tried to force them out yet." Akio sighed, awkwardly smiling. "I feel like Yume's fine, she's just too lazy to move out. The others are a different issue entirely though."

The detective eyed them for a moment, then smirked. "I'm sure Tomoyo will be out sooner or later. Kyatchi said he'll probably keep himself in his room though, and… Well, Masako is probably going to rest for a while."

"I mean, I feel like Kyatchi has to come out, y'know?" Akio pursed his lips. "He caused this whole mess to begin with."

"I-I guess…" Shinjimae was now awkwardly petting Saki. "I-I'm assuming he was, erm, s-stressed about the motive."

"But that doesn't excuse him for being such a dick." Akio threw a harsh look at Shinjimae who flinched in response. The brunette sighed in response. "Tomoyo and Masako could've easily resolved things if it weren't for him. I feel so bad for Tomoyo too. I don't understand what Kyatchi was saying at all."

 _That no one cared about murders? The murders of our own people?_ Watari threw a look at Akio, but stayed silent.

"I'm just glad Yume didn't add anything to this whole mess." The man was biting into his lips. "She's pretty close to Kyatchi, and given how they act… I don't know, it all just screams drama to me."

Shinjimae had his eyes on his shoes now. Seemed like he had finished his food. "M-maybe Kyatchi's just, erm, stressed though…"

"Hmm, probably." Akio crossed his arms. "He's just… weird, I guess? He really just likes to stir up trouble, and it's not helping us in anyway. He's just breaking our unity up. I'll give him that he's been helping drag in Yume, but that's all there is to it."

Watari snorted. "You're quite optimistic about him, huh?"

"... I suppose so." Akio's expression was unreadable. "I'm just not sure, but there's something about Kyatchi that screams 'off' to me. He was acting back then, I'm sure of it."

"What?" Shinjimae jumped. "W-why would he do that?"

The actor crossed his arms. "I'm assuming it was to break us apart. If it weren't his pranks or jokes, then it was definitely that. He does… Well, he's adamant on reality and separating himself from us, right?"

"I mean, not exactly." Watari frowned. "Are you saying that because you're an actor, then you could tell if Kyatchi fakes something? It doesn't necessarily mean you can understand his intentions."

"... True, but he was riling up Tomoyo for no reason." Akio glanced over at Watari, observing him. "Look, but what if Kyatchi's entire shitck of wanting to kill himself was nothing more than an act to make us drop our guard?"

Watari slowly stood up from his seat. "Well, I would've expected you to see through him sooner and tell us. You are the Ultimate Actor, after all."

"True, but it's not like I don't distrust people from the get go." Akio leaned back, finding himself against the wall. "I'm just saying it's a possibility."

The detective eyed him for a moment, then slowly turned to Shinjimae. "Hey, sweetie," he began, speaking in a soft voice, "Do you want to go check on the others for me? I want to talk to Aki here for a bit."

"H-huh? Erm, okay, b-but what's…" Shinjimae trailed off. He looked from Watari to Akio, then slowly nodded and began making his way for the door. Saki quickly followed suit, and soon the animal whisperer and his dog were gone.

Watari glanced over at Akio, then scratched his head. "Hey, are you alright? Aren't you usually the type to act optimistic?"

Akio eyed the detective for a moment, then sighed. He slowly scratched his head and looked around the area- it was only them inside. "I didn't expect you to really care, but I guess all of us aren't really in a situation to take notice of that, huh?"

Watari frowned. He observed the man, noting the look of slight guilt and worry on his face. "... Was it Masako or Tomoyo?"

The actor's eyes widened. "What?"

"Kyatchi wouldn't talk to you, I know he dislikes people like you. Yume would rather avoid interaction altogether, and Shinji's not the type to suspect people so easily." Watari smirked wryly. "So, who's making you worry? Masako or Tomoyo? I'm assuming it is Tomoyo, given that you two have been talking while I'm not around, right?"

The man frowned. He looked down at Watari, staring him in the eyes. It took a long moment before he spoke, saying bluntly and curtly, "Tomoyo."

"Yeah, I had a hunch." The detective sighed. "Did you two dislike Kyatchi from the get go? I'm assuming that's why you're here to tell me and Shinji why we shouldn't go near him."

Akio crossed his arms. "Most of us had our suspicions about him. I tried to warn Hitomu about him, and it only got worse when we saw how he acted last time. It wasn't all of us who were observing him from afar, but it's just Tomoyo and me now."

The detective raised a brow. "So, what? Did you suspect Kyatchi was working with Monokuma?"

Akio pointed down at Watari, bluntly announcing, "You're not the traitor."

Watari was silent. He looked over at Akio, stunned. _No, wait. He's only assuming. He doesn't know I've cut ties with Monokuma, and he's only basing this on what he said._ The detective quickly feigned a smirk, asking in a mocking tone, "What makes you think that? I've done plenty of things that should've made you know I was working for him."

The brunette shook his head. "That could've been a ruse, and, besides, you've been acting like you were never friends with Monokuma recently. You've been acting nicer."

Watari bit into his lips. "Wait." He raised a hand up, stopping Akio from speaking further. "You were the one who wanted me to become nice. Did you try to make me like this on purpose? You were the one who advocated for me becoming 'nicer'."

"Not exactly, Shinji helped you out with that too." Akio raised a brow. "If anything, Tomoyo helped the most, not me. She's close to you."

"She's not." Watari frowned. "So, what, did you two conspire against Kyatchi or something? Did you make Tomoyo 'befriend' me for the purpose of making her observe me and talk to you, like some slave?"

"Countermeasures." Akio raised his hands up, knowing he's been caught. "Ever since the entire thing with Wakana and Kiyoko went down, it's been chaotic, especially when it comes to Decebel and Ayako. They were obviously going to continue doing what they did, and we were worried other people were suspicious as well."

"... You don't make any sense. You've never made any sense." Watari glared at the man. "So, you think Kyatchi is suspicious? Then you think people like me and Yume are suspicious. It's all because we don't follow the stigma of 'play nice and let's be friends' sort of thing, right?"

"It's what has led to the initiation of the killing game." Akio frowned. "Yume hasn't done anything only until Kyatchi came into the mix. Kyatchi had done his own thing, and while we were suspicious of you, you've been softening up. Kyatchi, on the other hand, hasn't."

The detective gritted his teeth. "Just because of that? It's obvious Kyatchi has his own reasons for doing what he did. He knew every single one of you were hypocrites."

Akio grinned. "Says the coward who wanted to follow his brother's footsteps and ended up going against his morals."

"What?" Watari's face fell. "Why… what exactly do you know about me? Have you been researching me ever since we met?"

"I have given you've closed the case on me last time." The brunette frowned. "Your brother's Tadaomi, right? He was supposed to be the Ultimate Detective, not you."

"You asshole." Watari clenched his fists. He was glaring at the man, heat rising to his face. "I had no say in the cases that close and what stays open. That's the superior and government's job. I'm just a stupid detective."

"Hmm, really?" The brunette's face fell. His eyebrows were raised. "I heard you manipulated a case involving some dead children in order to keep Kiyoko's title in place. You willingly allowed it."

Watari's heart was beating. He felt dizzy. "What? So you and the others were working together to figure out who's suspicious or not? What do you want?"

"Nothing, I just needed to warn you about Kyatchi." The taller man crossed his arms. "He's suspicious. You've been messed with and thrown away. That, or you're also working with Kyatchi and whoever's behind this."

"Just because we don't act friendly?" The detective frowned. "I find it quite sad we've gotten to the point where acting realistic isn't considered normal."

Akio had no answer. He was silent, only eyeing Watari. He observed him, watched over him. The silence was tense.

 _I can't take this anymore._ Watari gritted his teeth, glaring at the actor. "Maybe we really are just murderers, Aki. None of us are exactly clean of anything."

"We're not sure about that." Akio's face was blank. "We can't be so certain."

The detective scoffed. "Well, thanks for the information, I guess. Are you going to eat now?"

"Planning to." Akio smiled calmly. "If you want, you can stay here with me. I don't mind company at the moment, and I'm sure Shinji won't return for a while. He's most likely busy with Tomoyo or one of the others."

Watari raised a brow. "Hmm…"

* * *

 **Should I hang out with Akio?**

 _ **[Uhh, why not.]** / _Why would I bother with him?

* * *

 _Tsk, if what he's saying is true, then Tomoyo and the others have been lying behind my back. If this was all after Wakana and Kiyoko's entire thing, then… Maybe even someone like Hitomu or Keishi were in this._

Watari then frowned. _But it doesn't sound like Shinji knew about anything. Does Masako know? … What exactly is going on everyone's mind at this moment?_

"Sure." The detective had to remain calm. "Whatever you want, as long as you can entertain me."

Akio nodded his head slowly. "Of course. Let me get something to eat first."

And the detective watched the actor head into the kitchen. He frowned, only thinking silently to himself now. _I seriously hate how things are turning out. Nothing is making sense._

And his mind would fall back on what he researched and found yesterday. _Cults, files… Monokuma obviously left some of those there for a reason. There were fourteen of us trapped here, and the symbolism reminds me of a cult, which does not bode well for me… And the idea that we were all murderers…_

Watari gritted his teeth. _Nothing makes sense. Who exactly are we and what are our connections to each other?_

A few minutes passed before Akio came out with a sandwich. Seemed easy enough to make, and Akio easily took a seat down on the table. Watari frowned, but followed and sat himself down as well.

It was silent for a few seconds, and Watari knew he had to say something.

 **Watari:** So… I guess, tell me a bit about yourself. It's fair given you've looked deeply into me.

 **Akio:** True. I'm assuming you want some family background?

 **Watari:** What, was it all cliched and generic? Are you some spoiled rich kid?

 **Akio:** Not exactly. I wasn't exactly that rich or loved anyways. The only reason why I got to the level of an ultimate was because of hard work. Nothing more.

 **Watari:** Hmm, really? I wouldn't expect that.

 **Akio:** Of course not, given you were well off.

 **Watari:** … Ignoring that, what exactly happened to you?

 **Akio:** My parents just abandoned me at an orphanage, and then I was picked up by some other people who lacked a care in the world. In order to prove to them that I wasn't just someone to throw away, I took up many jobs, and acting part time was part of them.

 **Watari:** … I wouldn't expect you to tell me everything, but that's quite a gist of things. Very short.

 **Akio:** True, given I do know a lot about you. Fine, I can be honest with you.

 **Watari:** Of course, given you've told me your plan.

 **Akio:** Yeah, so now you would suspect Kyatchi. We need to keep everyone safe, and you're not guilty of anything, I assure you.

 **Watari:** That's based on what you believe. You, Tomoyo… Whoever chooses to believe you.

 **Akio:** Mhm. Nonetheless, my own background isn't that superb like yours. I merely took on jobs whenever I can to prove them wrong, and acting was a constant job offered, so that's what happened.

 **Watari:** … Do you even like acting?

 **Akio:** I do, it helped prove that I'm actually not trash to be thrown away. If anything, it helped me get back at them. I can live independently, after all.

 **Watari:** … But they're your family.

 **Akio:** I can't consider them 'family' if they haven't done anything to help me.

 **Watari:** But…

 **Akio:** It's not a surprise you'd think that. You really admired Tadaomi, and your parents were kind despite how busy they were. It was normal.

 **Watari:** Yeah, so? I have my own beliefs, and you have yours. Whatever. You were the one who wanted me to befriend you in the first place.

 **Akio:** Oh, that conversation? It was a small step, but a needed one.

Akio smiled as he looked over at Watari- his expression was unreadable again, as if it was normal now. "We merely wanted to observe everyone, and you were a prime target. I just wanted to know your morals. Interesting how hypocritical you can be."

"... You're legitimately an asshole." Watari glared at the man. "I was always wondering why people still treated you nicely even after you condemned Kiyoko to death and laughed, especially if Tomoyo comes into play. Everyone continued to act kind around you, and I just thought they were pitying you."

Akio bit into his sandwich. It was the last of it, and he easily stood up. "All we wanted was to see who was suspicious or not. It's obvious you're not exactly working with Monokuma given how you're acting, but Kyatchi's been acting the same as he's always been. I just wanted to warn you and Shinji."

Watari raised a brow, then grinned dryly. "You know, I can easily ask Tomoyo if you're lying."

"Then ask her." Akio crossed his arms. "But I'm pretty sure she's not feeling well at the moment. Kyatchi did hurt her, after all."

Watari scoffed. "Well, aren't you confident?"

"Uhuh," Akio eyed the detective for a moment, then smiled. "I'll head back and look around for a bit. If you need anything, just text me."

"I'll…" Watari sighed. He decided to not bother. "I'll keep that in mind."

And without another word, Akio headed outside and left. The door was left open, leaving Watari to sigh and scratch his head.

* * *

 **Akio 'Blaise' Fukui's Profile Card: 1/1**

 **Note:** Akio came from a couple that abandoned him in an orphanage, and he was brought up by another couple that weren't loving towards him. This caused him to take up many jobs and skills in order to get back at them. He doesn't provide for them.

* * *

Watari's lips were pursed. _How did I not notice this?_ He was heavy, stomach churning. _I tried to observe and research as much as I can on everything, and yet I didn't even realize I was being played… Was it because I didn't 'trust' them? I didn't reach out to them?_

He didn't know. He didn't even know if there was an answer. All he knew at this very moment was that he had to talk to someone- Tomoyo. He had to talk to her and demand for an explanation, to hope that everything was a prank. Maybe he had to talk to Shinjimae too, or even Masako? God, he didn't know anymore, and his head was hurting.

Annoyed, Watari quickly made his way over towards the dormitories. He instantly moved over, making his way inside the area and moving about the Tomoyo's room. He did wonder if Shinjimae was talking to Tomoyo, but seeing as no one was around he had assumed Shinjimae was off to do something- maybe to play with Saki? He didn't know, but his focus was on Tomoyo regardless.

He was at the door, and he knocked. A few seconds passed, and the door opened. Watari frowned as he noticed Tomoyo who was inside, her eyes widening slightly as she eyed him. "Yes?"

 _Sounds like she's 'normal'._ Watari threw on a smirk. "Hello there, Moe. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine." Tomoyo eyed him suspiciously. "Did you want something? I was writing something."

"Oh, really?" Watari crossed his arms. "Making another script, I'm assuming?"

"Yeah." The woman continued to eye him, to observe him. "I usually write to pass by the time, and I just feel like getting my mind off of things."

"Because Kyatchi called you out."

Tomoyo froze. She eyed him silently. A few seconds passed. "... Do you believe in what he said?"

Watari scoffed. Somehow, that annoyed him. "I'd rather believe him than you."

"What?" Tomoyo was shocked. Hurt was written all over her face. "Why?"

The detective rolled his eyes. "How many people were involved in watching over me and the others like we're scum? Or, let's make it more simple, how many people were involved in screwing over Kyatchi and me? Maybe even Yume?"

The screenwriter took a step back. "I-I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Lies. You're lying." Watari's eyes began to dull. "Is Shinji in on this as well? Probably not, but now I would never know unless I ask. Kyatchi knew you guys were plotting things and played friendly towards each other, and he snapped because of it. If not that, then he already knew how hopeless you guys were."

"I…" Tomoyo trailed off. There was a long moment of silence, and she slowly looked to the side. "... I'm sorry."

Was this betrayal? Did he feel betrayed? He had no idea, and he was hurt. "This all started after Wakana and Kiyoko's thing, right? You became close to me because of the whole conspiracy, right?"

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "Y-yes, but… No, I truly like you though! This was just a precaution, I swear."

"You're only saying that because you want to feel validated. I don't care." Watari's expression was deadpan. He truly did not care anymore. "Let me guess, you only joined because the majority was joining in on the fun. You just wanted to have a place to belong to."

"Watari…" The woman averted her gaze. "... I just wanted to help them, but no matter if I was helping them or not, you're still a friend."

"Oh, you're pulling that card on me?" Watari gritted his teeth. "You would've never tried to approach me if you weren't in it with Akio and the others. That's probably why Misaki was so nice to me too, huh? Because everyone wanted to analyze me."

Tomoyo shook her head. "You… You were doing the same thing too. You were observing everyone too for your own purposes."

"At least I'm honest about it." The detective scoffed. "I shouldn't have ever tried to trust you. Everyone really is nothing more than scum. I can't believe it."

"There… There was no other way." Tomoyo bit into her lips. Her movements were fidgety. "We can't just analyze people and see who's suspicious by just asking to watch over them. They would lie."

"No, it's the people you guys chose to investigate." Watari smirked. "Because of Decebel and Ayako, and even on what happened to Kiyoko, you guys just chose to observe the people who weren't 'normal'- the people who actually don't care about lovey dovey shit and teamwork."

The woman immediately shook her head. "Watari, it's not like that."

"Then what?" Watari glared at the woman. "What the fuck is the answer? What do you want me to do?"

Tomoyo held her breath. A few seconds passed, her body shaking. Her face was even paler than ever before, white as a sheet. "We just wanted to end this entire killing game. I already had a feeling you wanted to end it, but I knew you weren't going to admit it and everyone wouldn't believe me, so… I just joined them and continued to try acting like their spy. I'm sorry, but I really do consider you a friend. I…"

Watari was just silent now. He could only eye her in utter disappointment and disgust, unable to hide the breaking tone in his voice as he said, "I actually trusted you."

And it stung both of their hearts, yet it soothed no one's in exchange.

Tomoyo stepped back again. "I'm sorry. I just didn't want them to get mad at me, but… It just seemed like it hurt people in the end. I don't even know if Kyatchi is faking it or not because of this now."

"Well, I don't care." Watari stepped back in return. He was grinning at her, but that was fake and forced. "Have fun with your script. I… I need to go."

"W-wait, Watari!"

And the detective ran. He ran away from the dormitories, away from Tomoyo and Akio and whoever else was here. He couldn't care less, and didn't want to care. He just needed to get away.

Running and running and running and running.

He ran until he was breathless and weak. He ran straight to where he found comfort, and that comfort can only be seen inside of his own research. The offices and library at the newest floor were going to provide him comfort, and he wanted to make sure of that.

And so he would pull books one by one and forced himself to investigate, to look through what he assumed he didn't read.

And he would force himself to blank out, to lose consciousness.

He just needed to get away.

* * *

" _Tadaomi?"_

 _Watari walked inside. His eyes glanced from left to right. No one was in sight. The lost kitty he wanted to follow ended up in a chase to figure out what Tadaomi was doing, but his older brother was gone._

 _Watari's lips curled to a worried frown. He took a step further inside. His footsteps echoed into the darkness._

" _Tadaomi?"_

 _He tried to call out for his brother once more, yet nothing. Watari can hear his heartbeat. It was erratic._

" _Tadaomi, are you in here-"_

 _Yet Watari's words would be cut short when a sudden hand roughly clamped over his mouth. He would feel himself being pulled back into a stranger's chest, and he would begin to scream and cry._

" _What's a brat like you doing in here?"_

 _Watari would continue to cry and shake. It would hurt when he felt himself being thrown to the ground and roughly tied up._

" _And what? Tadaomi… Isn't he that famous detective? Oh, hell, so he's snooping here?"_

 _And he would immediately realize his mistake, and he would begin to cry louder._

 _Hours and hours of crying later. Watari had no idea what to do. He was helpless. He was completely helpless and only had Tadaomi to save him._

 _Which, well, he appeared in front of his eyes._

" _T-Tadaomi!"_

 _But that was another mistake. Tadaomi would cry over Watari's presence and immediately it cost a gunshot._

 _Everywhere. Somewhere. He didn't know where._

 _And all he would see afterwards was blood, and the screams and sirens from a distance._

 _Blind. Blind._

 _He went blind and the little brother couldn't remember a thing except for his own guilty cries._

* * *

The only thing he could hear were footsteps.

"S-so you were here…"

Watari frowned, looking ahead. As expected, there was Shinjimae, walking inside with a worried smile. Saki was by his side, as always, and the detective couldn't help but bite into his lips.

 _No, I can't trust him. What if he's in it as well? Even if Akio wanted to warn him like he did for me, that doesn't mean he's innocent._ Watari took a step back, though it was futile given his seat on the couch. He tried to make himself as invisible as possible, but the animal whisperer had already found him.

"Erm, I-I tried to talk to Masako and, uh, Kyatchi, but they didn't w-want to talk. I-I'm sure they trust you more…" Shinjimae was awkwardly scratching his head. "I-I did see Tomoyo when I was, erm, looking for y-you, and she told me she was fine. I-I also saw Yume talking to Blaise."

"Uhuh." Watari simply glanced at him. "What, are you infatuated with him?"

The animal whisperer jumped. "H-huh? What do you mean?"

The detective frowned. He was staring deeply into the man's eyes. "Everyone seems to see him as a leader and godlike being. What, do you suspect Kyatchi? I'm sure you're also like them."

"W-Watari?" Shinjimae was nervous now. He slowly made his way over towards the raven, trying to reach out for him. "A-are you-"

"Stop." Watari immediately stood up, taking a step back. He knew he was hurting and scaring the poor animal whisperer, and he hated it. His entire head was continuing to hurt. "I… No, you're exactly like them, right? You're part of their stupidity."

"Watari?" Shinjimae was shaking. "I-I don't understand. W-what happened? Was it b-because of, erm, Blaise? Y-you wanted me to leave so you can talk to him, so…"

The detective hesitated. He glanced over to the side, grabbing at his own arm. "Just tell me if you're working with Akio and Tomoyo and the others behind the scenes."

"W-what?" The animal whisperer was unsure of what to do. "I… I'm sorry, I don't understand."

Watari only threw him a look. "How do I even know if that's true or not?"

"I…" Shinjimae bit into his lips, and stepped forward. Suddenly, the detective found himself being wrapped around and into an embrace. The animal whisperer was embracing him tightly, nuzzling him against his chest. "I… I have no idea what you're, um, t-talking about, but if it makes you feel better… Y-you can cry."

"Why would I cry?" Watari murmured underneath him. "I… I'm just tired. Nothing I'm doing is working."

Shinjimae gulped. He slowly began to comfort Watari, rubbing his back. "Y-you don't have to tell me what's wrong. I-I just want you to lean on me for a bit… No one's around us."

"I don't deserve that." Watari was beginning to shake. "It's my fault this entire thing happened. It's always my fault."

"No." The animal whisperer held him tighter. "I-I'm sure whatever happened, uh, was i-inevitable. You shouldn't n-need to, erm, stress out about it."

Watari went silent now, however he gripped around the animal whisperer and embraced him tightly in return. His entire body was shaking, and he dug himself against his chest.

It stayed like this for a while. Shinjimae was just there now, comforting the detective. Even Saki was comforting him, nuzzling herself against his leg. It stayed like this for a few minutes. Minutes, hours… It didn't matter, and within time the duo stepped back and released their hold.

"A-are you okay now?" Shinjimae asked, eyeing the detective. "I, uh, do you w-want to go back to your room?"

Watari rubbed his eyes. "No, I'm fine," he murmured. He forced a small smirk, throwing on a playful front. "Ah, okay, that'll be the first and last time you'll see that from me."

The animal whisperer sighed, crossing his arms. "Y-you could depend on me, you know. It's obvious you're stressed out."

"No, that's…" Watari averted his gaze. "... I guess."

"Mhm." Shinjimae grabbed ahold of his hands, keeping his grip on him. "Y-you can count on me. Erm, I-I'll try my best to help out. Y-you don't even have to tell me what's wrong."

The raven blushed. "I… Thanks." His expression softened. "You're right. Everyone's been telling me to do so, but I never listened to them."

"Y-yeah." Shinjimae nodded. "Now, d-do you want to go back?"

Watari nodded his head slowly in return, then stopped. "Hey, Shinji." He watched the man who looked over at him. He held his breath. "... You trust everyone, right?"

"O-of course I do." Shinjimae worriedly pursed his lips. "W-we all make our mistakes… Kyatchi and the others… I-I still like them. They're good people."

The detective smiled slightly. "Yeah, that makes sense."

Shinjimae nodded his head at him, and gently led him down the stairs and towards the dormitories. He easily brought the detective with him, leading him to his door. Watari took a step forward to open it, and looked back at the animal whisperer.

"P-please take a good rest." Shinjimae was eyeing the shorter man gently. Saki continued to bark at him, comforting him. "I, erm, h-hope you'll be well tomorrow?"

"Yeah, of course." Watari nodded. "Just… No, nevermind."

Shinjimae raised a brow. "Y-yes?"

 _I can't tell him to be suspicious around Akio and Tomoyo._ Watari simply shook his head. "It's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Mhm!" The animal whisperer beamed. "H-hopefully we can eat with, erm, T-Tomoyo and the others!"

"Yeah…" _I doubt I'll be seeing her soon, nonetheless anyone else in general._ "Just don't get hurt, alright?"

Shinjimae understood what he said, nodding his head and throwing on a look of utter confidence. It only made the detective chuckle in response, and he closed the door softly once he saw Shinjimae and Saki waving their goodbyes.

The door was now closed, and Watari headed over to his bed. He threw himself on the mattress, staring up at the ceiling.

 _This only happened because I underestimated them. If Tomoyo and Akio were in it, then I can safely add in people like Misaki… Maybe even Hitomu or Keishi? Whoever was in their little bubble of teamwork, mainly._

The detective then frowned. His mind revolved around a familiar face.

 _Then why take away Shinji from the mix? Did they not trust him to keep a secret and act different around me?_

… _No, it was because he was actually genuine towards me._

That somehow made Watari smile, and he felt confident enough to throw himself off of the bed and roll over to his desk. There were still notes that were empty, and the pen was right there to be used.

Eagerly and determined now, Watari began to write.

* * *

Okay, and that's the end of this chapter! Inevitably, the next chapter will come, and you know what time that is... Anyways, I'm actually really happy I got this chapter out! I was kinda in the dumps with writing recently, so being on the tour really did help sprout back my motivation to write! Ahem, anyways, I don't really have anything else to add other than the tour was actually really nice, so I'll say goodbye for now here!

Promotions:

 **Danganronpa: Execution Order** (Heroi Oscura)

 **Danganronpa: Remnants Of My Heart** (Prince PokePersona)

 **Danganronpa: Tall Tales and Other Murders** (ChaoticMercy)

 **Danganronpa: The Pitiful Plague Called Ignorance** (RioA, or moi XD)

 **For Whom the Rabbits Mourn** (SanityRequiem)


	34. Chapter 4 - Part 1, Part E

Hello, and I am finally here with another chapter! It took quite a while for me to upload this chapter, huh? Well, college is in the way of life at the moment, and I do take that as a priority, so there's that! Other than that, well, it's nothing really special, but I've been obsessed with Danganronpa RPs, so that's also another reason for my absence. Haha, anyways, let's get to the most important stuff.

 **This chapter will be rated M. I will explain more about this once the chapter starts, but this is just a warning in advance.** Other than that, I will apologize in advance for what I'm doing here. I feel like I'll cause plenty of emotions here, so uh, warning in advance (whether good or bad!). Other than that, er, I don't have much to say, so let's dive straight into the chapter!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Heck yeah, the chapter that'll intensify the story! Woo! I love bringing out the worst in everyone, I find that fun to do, haha. Discord is fun! Watari is such a precious baby, you should protect him. He definitely deserves better! Haha, see why I hate him? Heck yeah, thanks for understanding my hatred! I am very happy to know my hatred makes sense, aha. Oop, I shall give you a hug then, Sona X3 Haha, yup, my hatred for him is justified! Shinji ain't in it, don't worry, haha, he's safe. I mean, Kyatchi's a fun character aha, I love him. Oop, there goes Tomoyo. Haha, that was quite a rant. I mean, I enjoyed listening to it at least!"

 **Meta King:** "Oh my gosh, a long review from Meta, what the heck? Just kidding, nice to see you! Also, love that starting paragraph, it's so juicy, haha. Yeet, more Shinji and Watari! Haha, he's really gung-ho, what a cinnamon roll! Awkward af FTEs are the best, haha. Maybe if they become friends and hung out they can become a perfect match, but ouch, they're never going to be friends. Haha, no one trusts his backstory. Wow, more conflict! Rebels, woo! Haha, Shinji is just there. He needs protection. Oh my. Oops, well, let's see in this chapter."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Lupus Overkill and Meta King!**

* * *

 **CONTENT WARNING: This is going to be the only chapter that will be explicit and rated M. If you are uncomfortable with topics such as brutality, please refrain from reading the lower half of the chapter. To be more specific, this scene happens shortly after you see the word 'flicker' having an affect on something in the setting.**

* * *

" _It's not our fault that it happened. Blame yourselves for being the disgusting little liars that you are."_

 _That was what he said to describe his own case. To protect his friends. To speak down upon the inferiors._

" _... You may see it as me being a living doll or whatnot, but what I'm saying is what I truly believe."_

 _That only caused a stir in the crowd. The jury was yelling, cursing at him._

" _I don't care about any of you. Rot for all I care. I'm not the only person who believes you're worth nothing."_

 _He was being condemned. The sentence was drawing near._

" _Sure, I'd rather die than to be around you guys any longer. We already did our damage, so you can reap the consequences. I'm not here to play nice and plead for forgiveness."_

 _And he knew he will never be forgiven. The gavel hit the ground. The jury continued to scream and shout. It was already too late._

" _Good. I get to live away from this hellhole. Just burn or shoot me down already. I'll always laugh at how hopeless you guys are."_

 _And so he did._

Watari found himself waking up early again. Was this a curse or a blessing? Honestly, he didn't know, and he found himself looking at the same exact ceiling he has always looked at since the start of this entire game.

 _Damn._ Watari groaned. He knew he wasn't feeling well at the moment, and honestly speaking he wanted to sleep again.

His mind raced to Shinjimae. He scratched his head, then stretched his arms out. He hopped out of bed and grabbed his MonoPad, checking over if Shinjimae had woken up as well. It had seemed like he didn't, though at least he could check the time.

 _Hm, about thirty minutes till the morning announcement._ The detective frowned at that little tidbit. Why was he waking up so early now? He figured it must've been out of stress, and most likely from how used he was to this entire situation. Given over what happened yesterday, it was quite obvious to exactly how much he was stressed out.

 _Tadaomi would've been able to handle this- he would've been able to save everyone easily._

A long sigh escaped his lips. Did he even want to save them all? God, he knew he wasn't a hero of any sort, not even a goddamn vigilante or executioner of justice. Maybe if he worked in the court system he might be able to consider himself such, maybe if he punished people in corporal punishment. God, he didn't know. His head was hurting.

And he entirely blamed that on Akio and the others.

Was it all a lie? Was it something used to confuse him, to mess with him? Watari was not entirely sure anymore, and he hated how frustrated he was over this. Everyone had an agenda, and it was making him sick. He wanted to throw up, gag out the vile that was threatening to explode into the back of his throat. Sick, sick, sick. It was sickening.

His blood red eyes glanced over to his desk. All of his notes were still there, all laid out in a slightly disorganized fashion. He needed to fix that, but he was lacking any motivation to do so at the moment. He only sighed instead, shaking his head.

 _It's okay. You never needed them anyways. Fuck them._ That thought somehow stung. He always tried to make himself despise them, to make himself hate humanity as a whole. Yet, he hated how he felt so strongly against what just happened. He was scared of it. He hated it. He never wanted to feel that way.

 _God._ Watari groaned, slapping his forehead. He always thought he'd be able to live life without caring about anyone, and yet here he was, emotional over the people in this damn prison. This was the exact reason why he didn't want to get close to people, yet he still did anyways and it got him here. He hated it.

… _Just ignore them then. You can do your own research and take some notes. They don't need you._ Watari averted his gaze … _Even if you had wanted to save them… I still do, but…_

Yes, it was hard to think so kindly and have a desire to save everyone given what happened. But it was what he was trying to do the entire time- to save everyone and stop this fucking killing game. Everything continued to turn downhill from there the moment Wakana and Kiyoko died, and despite Watari wanting to push through with his agenda, it sadly didn't work.

Everyone else had their own agenda, and he was too blind to notice it. It should've been so goddamn noticeable when Akio continued to throw on that stupid mask of genuinety, and it should've been so obvious the moment Tomoyo always nagged him. It should've been obvious from how Kyatchi was always trying to hint at something, from how close Misaki was to him and Hitomu and… Everyone.

He felt sick again. Tears? Luckily not, yet he found himself running to the bathroom and gagging. Nothing, he only coughed out his saliva. Was he getting sick? He didn't know.

Scary. Scary.

He quickly washed himself up. He forced his mind blank. He had to calm down. He had to ignore what just happened yesterday. He was on a mission, after all, and he shouldn't let this ruin him.

He brushed his teeth and looked at himself in the mirror. Slight eye bags again, he frowned. It wasn't too noticeable unless someone were to get a closer look though. Maybe Shinjimae? That sweet little cinnamon roll always cared about him, after all. Maybe even Masako or Kyatchi, given their closer connections towards him… and their seemingly lack of a connection to whatever Akio and the others were planning (though he wasn't too confident that Masako's in it, she's fidgety and frightened easily overall).

That was fine. He was fine. He quickly grabbed ahold of a new set of the same outfit he always wore, and he changed. Yeah, he looked the same- just as he wanted.

His eyes glanced over to the MonoPad again. He reached a hand, but stopped himself. No, he didn't need it this time. There was nothing there for him to look at anyways, he knew that. Maybe the time? Sure, but he wasn't too worried. The announcement sounded off shortly afterwards, after all.

"It's morning. Get up."

A lack of care. A lack of emotion. Was Monokuma alright, or was he just asleep? What was happening? The announcement had ended so shortly and Watari had no idea what had happened. Nothing was making sense.

A knock on the door. Fuck, he didn't want to answer. What if it was Akio? Kyatchi? Masako? Tomoyo? … He had no choice, and he slowly approached the door. Mentally, he counted himself to three. One. Two. Three. He creaked the door open.

 _No, no, please._ Watari wanted to shut the door, but he was frozen. All he could do was stare at the person in front of him- that exact same person who had always tried to be by his side. He looked at them with a shake of the head, and he couldn't hide the scowl in his voice as he spoke softly, "Why are you here?"

And that person would avert their gaze and he would despise it. That fucking woman, he swore to god. She was thinking of what to say, as if it were calculated. Can he trust that? Can he even trust what she said any longer?

"I…" She looked at him. It took everything in his willpower to not look away and scowl. "I'm really sorry."

"Stop, sorry doesn't cut it." Watari immediately threw a hand up to stop her. "I already know you're only saying that because you still want to get on my good side."

She flinched. The obvious look of hurt, and Watari wasn't sure whether to feel bad or not. "That's… that's not it. I… I've been reflecting back… on everything."

"Why should I care? I can't trust anyone." He gritted his teeth, his heart pounding. "You only came to approach me because of your stupid plan with Akio and the others to watch over the less-than-happy little shits, right?"

"That's…" Tomoyo held her breath in, pale. "No… I didn't think it was that good of an idea, but it was something a lot of people agreed in and no one else was taking the initiative, so…"

"God, you just wanted to please them. Don't make excuses." The detective clenched into his fists, nails digging into his skin. "I don't care. Just stop bothering me already."

The screenwriter shook her head. She forced herself to continue, her voice becoming faster. "Shinji's not in it. The only people who weren't in it were you, Kyatchi, Yume, Shinji, and even Keishi. Of course Wakana and Kiyoko weren't part of it, and even Ayako and Decebel… Yeah."

"... Why not them?" Watari furrowed his brows. "They're not even like 'us'."

Tomoyo averted her gaze. "Well, uh, Keishi was the one who told Blaise no, for him and Shinji. I think Shinji was asleep when he asked, and Blaise decided to keep quiet about anything relating to the plan to him. I…" She hesitated; she gritted her teeth. Her voice went quieter. "Please don't tell anyone else this, okay?"

The detective's face hardened. "What is it?"

The screenwriter took a step forward, closer to the raven. Silence loomed between the duo. Uncomfortable, uncomfortable silence. "I… I think Ayako knew. She knew that everyone was watching over her, and she wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible. Everyone. That's why… I think that's why she manipulated Keishi into killing Hitomu. Even if it would make her an enemy, she wanted to just get rid of as many people as she could, even if she was too afraid to kill by herself. Kiyoko manipulated her into helping her, and I think that scared her into thinking that everyone would be out for her. In a way… I don't know, I think that moment just twisted her."

"But she was with Aki by the end of everything." Watari bit into his lips. "And Keishi wasn't apart of anything."

"She wouldn't know, she could only assume." Tomoyo gulped. "She was definitely scared. It… I just think it explained why she ended up completely shutting down before death. Everyone was avoiding her and treating her like scum."

A sour look escaped his face. "Isn't that you guys' fault? Maybe if you guys hadn't pretended to act so damn high and mighty, she could've been fine and recovered."

"That's…" Tomoyo's face saddened. "I know that. I already knew that."

Watari only scoffed in return. "So, what's your point? That you're above those people for actually realizing how stupid you guys were?"

"Watari, that's…" The screenwriter gulped. "I didn't want to hurt you."

"You already did. Stop." The detective took a step back. "I can't trust anything you say. You did everything to just please the others."

The screenwriter flinched. "That's not it. Please, Watari, you don't understand."

Watari felt his breath hitch. He looked at the woman for a moment, silent. He was about to say something, probably something brash and insulting, yet-

"O-oh! Watari, Tomoyo?"

The detective released a sigh. He looked over to the side, finding Shinjimae and Saki near them. His face softened at the sight of them, and he quickly transitioned his focus onto him. "Dear, did you just woke up?"

"Oh, uh, yeah!" Shinjimae's lips curled into a small smile. "Hehe, yeah, I-I just woke up. I-I guess you two weren't."

"Ah, no, I woke up early." Watari smiled softly as Shinjimae approached them. He waved at the animal whisperer and his dog. "Are you heading out to eat?"

Shinjimae nodded his head. "Mhm, yeah. Ah, y-you should join me. I-I'll, erm, cook for you this time."

"Aww, you're too sweet." The raven reached on his tiptoes, all to ruffle Shinjimae's hair. His face softened as he noticed the smile that widened on his friend's face. "I'm fine with whatever you cook, dear."

The animal whisperer blushed, then slowly glanced over at Tomoyo. "Uh, d-did you eat yet?"

Tomoyo flinched. She looked at Shinjimae for a second, then back to Watari. She looked to the side. "... I'll eat later. I'm not hungry right now."

"O-oh, I mean, if you're sure…" Shinjimae wasn't able to say much, as the screenwriter was already turning around and leaving through the hallway. There were a few short seconds of silence, and the animal whisperer awkwardly turned to eye Watari. "Uh, I'm assuming she, erm, tried to t-talk to you?"

"If by that you mean making up excuses, then yeah." Watari awkwardly chuckled, eyeing the taller man. "You came at the right time, sweetie."

"Ah, I see!" The animal whisperer nodded his head. "Erm…" He looked hesitant. "D-do you want to go out to eat? I-if you're, uh, not hungry, w-we can hang out somewhere else then, m-maybe?"

"Oh, I'm fine." The raven smiled softly. "We can go eat. I'm curious to see what you'd cook."

Shinjimae's face lit up. "A-alright! Erm, I was g-going to try out… ah, fish and chips?"

"Aww, that sounds lovely." Watari chuckled, noticing how his friend's doe eyes would lit up at his response. "Let's head over to the cafeteria then."

"Y-yeah!" The animal whisperer smiled much more wider at that, and quickly followed behind the detective. Saki even barked in response to the detective's words, after all, and so it was a happy situation throughout the entire day so far.

The duo easily made their way into the cafeteria, and Watari couldn't help but release a soft sigh as he noticed the lack of people inside. _Good,_ he thought. _It was only me and Shinji here. That's good._

Shinjimae looked around the area for a moment, then looked down at Saki who pointed at nose at the kitchen door. The animal whisperer laughed at that, and motioned Watari to follow. The group easily made their way inside and got comfortable, noted by how the taller man was searching through the kitchen for food and supplies.

"Do you even know how to make fish and chips?" Watari asked, softly eyeing the animal whisperer. He smiled slightly at Saki who nuzzled herself against his knee. "If you need, I can help out."

"O-oh, no, I'm fine." Shinjimae nervously chuckled, blushing as he eyed the raven. "I-I know how to c-cook… yeah."

"Hmm, really?" He observed the man who was taking out the fish. "Did you cook when you were little or something? People these days tend to depend on their parents."

The animal whisperer only laughed in return. The stove was heating up. "I-I mean, yeah. I… I don't… My parents…"

 _Shit, he looks pale._ Watari quickly threw on a playful smirk and mused, "Gotcha, don't worry about it."

"Aaah, y-yeah. Y-yeah, I'm fine!" Shinjimae nervously laughed, flexing his fingers. He awkwardly scratched his head and quickly shifted his focus away, back onto the stove and fish. A minute passed with the sizzling of the water. "... Erm, a-are you doing alright?"

Watari instantly realized why Shinjimae was asking. A sigh escaped his lips. "Honey, I'm fine. Don't worry about me. That's the last time I'm ever going to cry, idiot~"

"I-I see." The sizzling continued. The fish was going to be fried. "I-if you ever need, erm, help, p-please ask me. I-I want to see you, erm, happy."

"That's really sweet of you." The detective snickered. "I'm always happy whenever I'm around you. You're a ball of sunshine, sweetie."

"A-aww!" Shinjimae covered his mouth, crying in pure shock and endearment. He almost leapt out of the stove out of joy, having ran up quickly to wrap his arms around Watari. It was easy for Shinjimae to embrace him, for he was bigger and taller. "T-thank you! I, uh, a-always try to be h-happy no matter what, s-so hearing you say that… i-it just makes me smile more!"

Watari's cheeks immediately became pink. He hated how quick his heart was beating. "Geez, what is that, your life goal or something?"

The animal whisperer awkwardly laughed, slowly unwrapping his arms. "Y-yeah, erm, I guess it's something, uh, l-like that. I-I just really hate it when p-people aren't happy, especially myself… Uh, y-yeah."

"Well…" Watari scratched his head, eyes averted to the ground. He hated how embarrassed he looked right now. "You can always talk to me if you're stressed out about anything. You did, uh, help me out a lot of times before."

Shinjimae beamed at that statement, looking down at the raven. "O-of course! We're, erm, f-friends here!"

The detective smirked, wiggling his brows a little in a playful tease. "Hmm, only friends? Nothing more?"

It was obvious Shinjimae's face would turn red. "O-oh! Erm, I mean, uh, w-what?!"

"Pfft!" Watari snorted, the look of pure shock on Shinjimae's face breaking him. "God, that's a cute reaction."

"I-it is?! Erm, t-thanks?! N-no thanks? Er, uhh… I-I don't know?!" Shinjimae was still wide-eyed. The sizzling began to grow violent, louder. "A-ah! Oh no, I forgot!"

Watari watched the animal whisperer who quickly dashed back to the stove, quickly turning down the heat. He awkwardly smiled. "Nice. The kitchen avoided a catastrophe."

"Sheesh." Shinjimae awkwardly scratched his head. "T-that's your fault, hehe."

The detective giggled. "Maybe it is." He could see the look of pure amusement on Shinjimae's face. "Nonetheless, I'm sure the food will taste good."

"I-I hope so!" The animal whisperer threw on a small smile, Saki jumping over towards him. "I-I'm more, erm, good at making sushi. It's my favorite, hehe."

"Oh, sushi's good." Watari instantly nodded, agreeing with the man. "I personally prefer sushi with salmon roes. I find them juicy for some reason."

"I-I just like anything." Shinjimae giggled. "Sushi is good- o-oh, we should, erm, make some later! M-maybe tomorrow? I-I don't know if you're busy, uh, t-today after this."

Watari looked at him for a moment, then chuckled and shook his head. "I'm just planning to go search around. Nothing special. I need to find more clues on stuff, especially from the library and offices and whatnot."

"Oh, I see!" The man nodded quickly. "T-that makes sense. Erm, I was planning to, uh, t-talk to Tomoyo later a-about, well, y'know…"

"Ah." Watari's face slightly grimaced, but he easily hid it from sight. "Yeah, that's fine. Don't worry about it. Just do what you think is right, okay?"

"Of course!" Shinjimae pumped his fists together, throwing the detective a toothy grin. His sleeves were flowing and poofy from his movements. "I-I honestly, erm, never heard about any of this. Uh, the w-whole situation with Blaise a-and the others. Hehe, I guess t-they don't trust me? … either way, I-I could ask them later."

"I mean, maybe we should form an anti-Aki group with Yume and Kyatchi." Watari snickered, amused at his own discretion. "I don't know what Masako's doing right now, but I just don't trust Tomoyo and Akio right now. Maybe Masako knows… actually, I don't know if Yume heard anything about this."

"W-we should ask," the man suggested, the stove still frying the fish in the process. "They can help us!"

"I suppose we could try that," Watari mused, slightly curling his lips up into a smirk. _I'm afraid. I don't want to trust them…_ "If anything, I'll rely on you for that. You'd be great at uniting people together. You just need to learn how to become more confident and serious."

Shinjimae blushed, scratching his head. "Erm… I-I don't know, that scares me. I, uh, hate acting serious too… I-I get scared easily, especially in comparison to y-you or Blaise, hehe."

"That's fine." The detective chuckled. "I'm just complimenting you and criticizing you at the same time. Nothing too special."

"I-I guess so." The animal whisperer awkwardly laughed. "I-I just, erm, need to learn how t-to be more open a-and honest. You, Yume, K-Kyatchi, the others… everyone's so open."

"Don't worry about it." Watari shook his head. "Just do whatever makes you feel comfortable. You're a sweet guy, so… I don't know, just do what you think is right, okay?"

Shinjimae blushed as he nodded his head. The conversation had easily ended there, and now the duo waited for the fish to be fried. Happily enough, the fish had been fried within an hour, and it was easy enough to cook the fries as well; once it was done the duo easily made their way out (with Shinjimae holding the food for Saki) into the cafeteria to eat. They took their seats, Watari in the meantime intrigued by the smell of the fish and chips.

Shinjimae placed the plates down for him and Watari, and easily began to feast on his meal. The animal whisperer's eyes widened as he took a small bite into his fish, and his lips curled into a wide smile as he glanced over to the detective. It was obvious what Shinjimae was excited about- that it tasted amazing.

Watari looked at his plate for a moment, observing it. He never really tried fish and chips since a few months back (or was it years ago? He couldn't remember), so when he took it in his fork he eyed it. A few seconds passed before his lips parted. Teeth bit into it, and he chewed. Savory, delicious. Eyes widened. "Oh! It tastes good."

The animal whisperer glimmered within an instant. "Y-yeah! I-I'm glad… I, erm, didn't want to disappoint you, hehe."

"Of course. You'd never disappoint me." Watari sighed, biting into more of the fish. It was definitely delicious, scrumptious even. Honestly, he felt like he could snack on this for a while. Just Shinjimae's fish and chips… yeah.

Nonetheless, the detective was unable to eat through halfway of his food, being interrupted with the door opening within minutes of him and Shinjimae eating (and Saki was a quick eater, props to her, he supposed). Watari would frown and look forward, then sighed as he saw who was in the center stage.

"Oh." It was Yume, the nihilist looking forward at the duo. "Damn, I thought I'd be alone…" A sigh. "Only you two? I'm assuming the rest already ate then?"

Shinjimae was the first to respond, shaking his head. "I-I think the others didn't eat yet, uh… W-we were the only ones here."

"Yeah." Watari blinked, observing the nihilist. He wondered if she knew anything about the situation- honestly speaking, he wasn't sure himself. Yume was a strange person, and he wasn't even sure what her own motivations or goals were… maybe, he just didn't talk to her that much. "Hey, Yume, have you talked to Kyatchi recently?"

Yume's expression slightly bittered. "Kyatchi? Why are you asking?"

Her tone was neutral as always, yet Watari noticed the slight tinge of fear inside it. Why? He wasn't sure, but given that he and Yume were close, it was obvious the woman might be worried about the juggler. "Has he told you anything? Or, well, have you been trying to reach to the poor dear?"

The nihilist eyed him for a second, silent. Eyes were still looking at him with that usual look of apathy, yet it was slightly shimmering in something forgein- hatred, unease… He didn't know. "I… What's it to you? It's not like you really care that much about him."

"Well, obviously, you care." Watari rolled his eyes, sighing. "It's just a simple question. He's been talking to me much more than anyone else has, so of course I'd be concerned if he just shuts himself off from the world like a stupid NEET."

"Like a NEET, huh?" Yume crossed her arms. Her white dress was swaying softly to her movements. "I mean… Yeah, I guess I did try to text him or something. He told me he was fine though and not to bother him. I haven't really talked to anyone else yet till you guys showed up."

"Ah, I see." Watari nodded his head. "Hmm, does he seem to be doing well? I mean, uh, you can't really tell from texts, but still…"

The nihilist shrugged. "I think he's doing alright for someone who's been outcasted by the group. Not sure what the others are doing." She stopped. "Did Tomoyo and Masako even make up yet?"

The detective scoffed. "I don't really care anymore."

Yume threw him a confused look, and Shinjimae quickly stepped in. "Erm… I-I would hope they made up. Uh, I-I just hope they will. They're both r-really, uh, shy in apologizing."

"Well, whatever they want. I'm sure they'll be fine…" Yume trailed off. There was something in her head. She pursed her lips. "... Maybe I should've… no, nevermind."

Shinjimae's brows furrowed. "A-are you okay? I-if you want, you can-"

"No, no, I'm fine." An awkward laugh. "I'm just… sleepy, yeah." She bit into her lips, a pensive look on her face. "I'm fine."

"You don't sound fine." Watari raised a brow, frowning. Nonetheless, he felt like the mood had to be brightened up, so he quickly threw on a smirk and clapped his hands together. "You're worried about Kyatchi, huh? That's just so adorable~"

"No, that's… shut it." Yume glared at the man. "He's just… different, and it's annoying when people are just stupid to how harsh reality is. It's not his fault he's telling the truth."

Watari snickered. "True, people are usually blind to that simple fact anyways." He easily went back to his food, biting into another fry. "I'm assuming he's doing relatively well then."

"I would hope so." Yume sighed. "Then again, I don't even know what the others are doing. You were taking care of Masako, right?"

The detective became slightly red- only slightly. "I was, but…" Guilt washed over him. He didn't even know if Masako was truly part of Akio's plan or not. "... I should talk to her. She didn't text me at all since the last time we talked."

Shinjimae nodded his head. "A-ah, same with me. I-I didn't talk to her because I thought…" He glanced at Watari. "Y-yeah."

 _I know what you're thinking._ The detective awkwardly scratched his head. "I'll… I'll probably talk to her later. I'm not sure what she's doing or if she's busy."

"Y-you can always text her!" Shinjimae nodded his head quickly, smiling over at the raven. "S-she's probably, erm, too shy to text first!"

Watari sighed, taking out his device. "I guess you're right…" He slowly looked over at his messages and opened his messages with Masako. He eyed it for a few seconds, then shrugged and texted a small message- a simple hello and whatnot. He waited. A few seconds passed and he closed the device, putting it back into his pocket. "Guess she'll text me back later."

"Hopefully, yeah." Yume shrugged. "I'm just… I'm just going to eat something. I don't want to bother you guys."

Shinjimae shook his head. "N-no! I mean, erm, we're almost done, s-so uh… F-feel free to eat with us or whatever!"

The detective shook his head. "I mean, I'm just going to go after this. You two can talk though. I need to investigate."

Shinjimae quickly bobbed his head up and down. "S-sure, of course. W-whatever you, uh, want, hehe."

Watari shrugged. He tossed another fry into his mouth and bit into the last of his fish, then stood up and stretched. "Mm, yeah, I'll just head out and investigate. If you want to bother me, just message me."

The animal whisperer beamed instantly. "Y-yeah, of course!"

The detective threw Shinjimae a soft smile in response, then took his dishes and made his way into the kitchen. He took a look around and easily placed his dishes down, then washed them for a couple of minutes. Drying his hands next with a soft towel, he easily made his way back outside and waved to the duo. Shinjimae smiled in return, and Yume was mainly there to just eye him unemotionally. That was fine, it's not like Watari really cared. He was going to head out anyways, and so after he threw a look at the duo he made his way outside and straight over to his investigation site.

Back into the new floor and area, he walked into the library and continued his search. He quickly snatched a few pieces of paper and a pen, placed them on a nearby desk, and began his search around the area.

He grabbed a few books that were of interest and quickly began to read, skimming through each page and jotting down notes. Of course, it was hard to think about and figure out the main picture of everything, but given what Monokuma said and what he's been seeing himself, he knew everything had a purpose… everything had a reason to exist, and he was here to figure it out and jot them down.

As always, everything seemed to be connected to alternate universes and parallel worlds. It was definitely something high-tech, and Watari, while not the most interested in such ideas, was piqued by what he read. The idea of life on different worlds and multiple universes and intergalactic species and whatnot seemed quite interesting, honestly. Sadly, he wasn't some astrophotographer or astronomist or whatnot.

He jotted down some more notes. Of course, there were the same things that had interested him beforehand, and more ideas that branched out in his brain.

Cults, of course, were a constant and daily factor in what he read. There was always some form of corruption or organization going on in a story. Even the files Watari compiled from the library were quite strange- to expose the other world, to destroy identities and curse others left and right… quite peculiar.

Interesting, very interesting. Watari frowned as the hours passed by, his eyes becoming red and his lips chapped. There were piles of books on the side of his corner, and the detective knew it had been about a dozen or so since he had read in just these few hours.

A sigh escaped his lips. Maybe he should've gotten Shinjimae or the others to help him. Although he wasn't sure if Yume or Kyatchi would be willing to help (maybe even Masako, he'll be nicer towards her), he was damn sure Shinjimae and Saki would help sniff out for any information. They could be his partners in crime, maybe.

He usually worked alone though, and he knew that. Watari rubbed his eyes, groaning softly to himself. The time on his MonoPad definitely told him that he needed to focus on something else (preferably to eat and rest), but his spirit told him otherwise. Besides, Masako haven't texted him yet, and he had no one around to bother him during this time.

Watari bit into his lips. Well, he had nothing else to do, and so he moved over to the other side of the library. There were more books there he needed to fetch and investigate, after all, and he was not the type to give up now. He easily stepped forward into the slightly darker side of the room, blood red eyes darting from left to right.

The smell of old books and paper. Watari was used to this smell- he was always around paper and piles of texts, after all. This wasn't anything new, and the lack of lighting in the corner didn't bother him. He was used to reading at night, especially when it concerned reading for a case that happened overnight. It was tiring, sure, but he was now used to it, sadly or fortunately enough.

He skimmed through the titles before raising a brow. Something had caught his eye. Pursing his lips, he glanced over behind one of the stacks of books. Fingers reached in, separating the books to the left and right to reveal some strange flashlight.

He observed it for a moment, eyes scanning the object. It was definitely a flashlight, but there lacked a flicker. No matter where Watari searched, nothing can be used to turn it on. It was just… there, broken and seemingly serving no purpose. It seemed like it had been recently used however, there was a lack of dust around the object, after all.

He stuffed the flashlight into his pocket. He knew he would have to observe it in closer depth later. For now, his eyes scanned through the files on display. His eyes widened-

 _Flicker! Flicker!_

There was a blackout. The lights immediately flickered out, and it was black. Was it black from just the library? Was it black from the outside? Watari didn't know, but he sure as hell can't see shit and the flashlight was not going to work at all. There was no switch, and only an annoyed groan can escape from his mouth.

Was the light switch nearby? He sure damn hoped so. He tried to look around the area, but he sensed nothing. He couldn't see anything, and he only had his sense of direction to guide him. His heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to move regardless. A step slowly to the left.

Ah, he might've made a few more steps further down the line if it weren't for the sudden light flashing straight into his face, and the sight of a bat knocking him down.

Was he knocked unconscious? Was he bleeding?

God, he didn't know. All the detective could figure out was that something was happening, and that feeling of immense dread and fear was taking over him within seconds. Yet even adrenaline couldn't save him, for that pain shot, stabbed through his skull and he groaned, coughed in pain.

Blood? Was it blood?

He couldn't even see. The light that flashed at his face only blinded him, and those rough hands that pinned him down and easily toyed with him like a baby made it impossible for him to do anything. The blindfold, the gag, the rope, the chair he's been forced onto… He couldn't register any of this, yet all his mind could think about had resurfaced one thing, and one thing entirely- Tadaomi.

Right, right… Right, this situation reminded him so much about Tadaomi. His dear brother who tried to save him… his brother who saved him and lost his career… his brother who became blind… Right! It was all because of him.

It was all because of him, and he was in this same situation!

Right, right, it was his fault Tadaomi ended up blind! It was his fault Tadaomi wasn't the Ultimate Detective and it passed over to him! Right!

Right.

Right.

Right…

He wanted to blackout. He wanted to blackout so badly but he couldn't and he knew he couldn't and he fucking knew that whoever the hell was torturing him right now wanted this. This person wanted to torture him and couldn't care less about their victim and fuck it was hurting him so badly and he was hyperventilating and god he can't breathe and-

-oh god he can't breathe.

Was he bleeding? Was he bleeding? Was he fucking bleeding?

Of course he was bleeding. Every single time he felt something touch and pull at his skin he would shriek into the gag and roll his head back. This room was soundproof and he knew it and fuck the gag he was biting into was hurting him so much. He couldn't see and it enhanced his senses and he hated how sensitive he was right now.

Because one, two, three… Every single one of his fingers were twitching and it ached every time he would bend them or move. His nails were being pulled out so slowly, slowly, slowly… They were enjoying his suffering and all Watari wanted to do was beg for them to stop. Pride? What was pride? He couldn't give a damn about pride if his fucking fingernails were being pulled and god he can feel so many things trying to hurt him and stab him and prick him and-

-was he alive?

"... you…"

He was alive, but barely conscious. He wanted to blackout. Please, he was begging for it. Please, for god sake, blackout and never return. This was too harsh, too cruel, too surreal… it was too much for him and he didn't know what he did wrong.

"... why… dead…"

Was that it? Was that… was that right? Right?

… Right, that was exactly right! He did do something wrong! He did do something wrong and that's why he was being punished! He was worthless! He was useless! He was the cause of all of this! Right! Right, right, right! That was exactly right!

He was being punished! He did something wrong and he was being punished for it! This was justice! This was what he needed! He didn't do anything right at all, and now he had to pay for his sins!

Was he laughing? Was he going crazy? Was he truly hopeless?

Did that even matter? Did that fucking matter?

… It didn't matter.

Stab through his heart like Wakana. Tear him apart like Kiyoko. Nail him like Hitomu. Let him burnout to death like Keishi. Let him electrocute and drown like poor dolls such as Decebel and Ayako. Maybe… maybe even let him get dissected for inhumane research like Misaki.

Anything, everything, definitely… It was his fault for all of this, and he knew he deserved it.

All his nails were gone. Were they going to be eaten? Broken apart? His fingers were already bent and his limbs were already broken and shattered. All he needed was that final, final hit… that final hit till death.

He longed for it.

Everything was going to be covered in red regardless of what he did, so eventually, he gave up and smiled inwardly to himself.

Reality was harsh.

* * *

Tomoyo sighed, throwing her head back and staring up at the ceiling. It had been hours since she last saw Watari, and even when she knew the detective probably hated her guts by now, she couldn't help but feel that slight tinge of pain in her chest. Was she hopeful that he'd forgive her? Was she angry at herself? Honestly, it might've been a mixture of those.

 _God, I haven't even texted Masako yet or said sorry to her. I…_ She groaned and shook her head. She has been blaming herself for just about everything these past few hours, and with Watari on top of her list of problems and Shinjimae's visit a few hours ago ruining her naptime, she was honestly more than ready to hit the hay and call it a day.

… _Then again, Blaise hasn't texted me back either._ Her expression soured slightly. Yes, she did regret what she did- to join Akio was a huge mistake on her part. Was it fear that got to her? Was it the threat that Akio threw down at her that got her to join? Maybe it was Misaki who coerced her into joining? She honestly didn't know, but all she knew now was that is caused discord in the end… There was never hope for a remedy to begin with, and Akio's plan was obviously a failure from hindsight.

Tomoyo scratched her head, lowering herself into her seat. She couldn't help but think back to how Akio acted in the first trial, how her face soured and teared up when he mocked Kiyoko. Sure, Kiyoko was stupid for acting like that, but there was no reason to mock her as if she deserved nothing more than that sickly excuse for justice. It was disgusting, and honestly Tomoyo thought the worst of him…

So why? Why was she so stupid enough to join the likes of him? Was threatening an excuse? Was being blackmailed an excuse? Was the pressure of her friends joining an excuse? Maybe it was because of her own faults? God, Tomoyo didn't know.

… _I really should try to look for him._ God, she was such a hypocrite, going over to apologize to Watari while ignoring Masako. Was it because he was more useful than her? _Oh my god, I need to stop thinking about it. I'm… God, I'm so horrible. I should just sleep instead-_

 _Knock knock knock!_

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She darted her head back at the door. No one has ever knocked on her door since a few days ago, and yet now… Adrenaline was slowly creeping into her skin, flowing through her blood cells. So many questions were ringing inside of her head. Who? Why? What purpose? She didn't know, but she wasn't the type to step down. Slowly, she made her way up and moved towards the door.

A few seconds. One, two, and she slowly creaked opened the door. She peered outside to find Shinjimae and Saki, just like last time- what's strange, however, is the sole fact that the duo seemed stressed out, pale, red in tears. Something was wrong, horribly wrong. "... Yes…?"

"T-that's, uh- god, i-it doesn't even matter!" Shinjimae quickly forced the door wide open and grabbed at her hands. "G-go to the library upstairs! I- uh, god, I just-" Tears were falling from his eyes. "O-oh my god, I… I can't… I can't breathe, I… hic…"

"S-Shinji?" Tomoyo couldn't help but gulp, looking down at his hands. They were extremely cold. "Hey, uh, what's wrong…?"

"N-no… it's your fault… you didn't listen… i-if you did… n-no! Get away! I-I hate you!" Shinjimae swiped her away from him and ran down the halls. Saki barked in shock, whining. Her eyes were scanning around the area before throwing a look (a glare?) at Tomoyo before speeding off.

"Ah, uh, Shinji?!" Tomoyo tried to reach out, but her hand only caught nothing. "What…"

"Yo."

The screenwriter froze in place. She could tell whose voice that belonged to. "... Kyatchi, you're out now?"

Looking ahead of her was the juggler himself. He threw her a dry smirk, hands crossed over the back of his head. "It was kinda loud, so I peeked outside and saw Shinji hyperventilating. What, did a murder happen or some shit?"

"That's… you can't…" She averted her gaze, stopping herself from speaking further. A few seconds passed. "Shinji said something about the library on the top…"

"Top floor?" Kyatchi thought for a moment, face slightly paling. "If that's the case, isn't Watari usually up there? He investigates a lot."

"What?" That never registered to her at all. Her face paled in return. "That's… y-yeah, there's no way…"

An uneasy silence roamed around the room.

"... We should check." Kyatchi glanced over at Tomoyo, observing her closely. "If Shinji's so worried about it, then…"

"R-right." The screenwriter gulped, holding in her breath. "We should… we should go check then, yeah."

Hesitation. Tomoyo looked over at the juggler who averted his gaze for a second. Silence loomed in between the duo, and they took their first steps forward.

Forward, straight into death.

Those footsteps up the stairs were harsh, drawn out. Tomoyo can hear her own breathing, her own heartbeat… Everything seemed to be intensified at this very moment, and she had no idea why… Maybe she did, but she knew she would rather not imagine it.

Imagine it… which sadly, was impossible when the door to the library opened.

The lights to the library was flickered on, yet that sense of dread never once left Tomoyo as she entered into the room. The smell of death was all too clear to her… clear just like back home. She shuddered at this thought, walking further in with Kyatchi following closely behind her.

Step, step, step…

Step.

Everything froze at that exact moment. Tomoyo's entire body went pale, and her mind instantly ran over one single thought- to vomit.

She quickly turned her back and gagged, throwing up. Her stomach was hurting and her head was aching, cloudy and fuzzy. At every single second she could feel herself giving up on that small flicker of light, of hope. It was beginning to fade out, and Tomoyo couldn't regain her control over this small flicker… it was gone, and it was disappearing in a flash.

Because, god, when she looked back, all she can see was total despair.

There he was, all in his glory.

Lied in a simple wooden chair was the Ultimate Detective himself, Watari Irino. Tied to the chair, the poor raven had been tortured to no end. Feet tied to the legs and hands tied to the arms of the chair, the poor detective couldn't do anything but struggle and scream helplessly into the cloth that was tied around his mouth. He was unable to even see through the blindfold that was both soaked in tears and dried up blood, and god… the blood and broken limbs he had were too much to account for. His fingers which were bent and nails which were pulled out from his being… the cuts and marks over his entire body and ripped clothes…

God, Tomoyo just didn't know where to start. She couldn't even fathom the strange device that was hung from the top of a shelf- a camera? Even the gigantic flashlight which shone next to the camera didn't register in her head. Even the torn up papers and glass didn't register to her because oh god… this was too harsh.

This was too harsh, and god, she did not want to accept reality.

Was that why she was in tears?

No. She knew that wasn't it.

It was because of guilt and utter destruction.

She felt utter despair.

* * *

Anyways, that was the end of the chapter. I know for sure that some of you are probably very surprised or emotional right now, but, uh, it's alright! It'll get better, hopefully.

I don't have much to say other than college may make me slow in updating (especially since both stories are on their cases), but I'll try my best! See you all in the next update!


	35. Chapter 4 - Part 2, Part A

Hello, and I am finally back with another chapter! It took over a month for me to release this, huh? Oops, didn't mean to take that long! Er, anyways, I don't really have much else to say other than this chapter, while not as explicit as what happened in the last one, is explicit in its own rights.

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "AAAAH I'M SORRY."

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Oh geez, haha, I thought protagonist kills were becoming more obvious now, but glad I surprised you with this, haha. Nah, I shall hate all my characters and have them all killed :) Just kidding, I love my babies, but I love my fair share of suffering as well. Shinjimae is going to be traumatized, that's for sure. Watari is our detective, so he shall know everything, maybe. Yee, Tomoyo is important here, hehe. Poor Kyatchi, being thrown into the spotlight and being thought of as a killer or something. Eww, Akio. He's a meanie. Tomoyo vs. Akio will be interesting, yes. Ayako is our lolita fashion model, haha. Oooh, yes, of course. Hehe, thanks!"

 **Meta King:** "Oh hello there :) Welcome to the review section."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READERS: Lupus Overkill and Prince PokePersona!**

* * *

 **CONTENT WARNING: Not as explicit as last chapter, but there will be details of what happened during the last chapter for one scene. There are also topics that are going to be heavily introduced in this chapter that may be uncomfortable to some people. If you are uncomfortable with topics relating to physical and emotional abuse, please refrain from reading the lower portion of the chapter.**

* * *

Was time a mere concept created by humanity itself, or was time nothing more than a fabrication?

Hey, the answer didn't matter. Answering questions to the existential world was nothing more than useless, hopeless. Who cared about that? Who gave a damn about the world?

Tomoyo only cared about herself anyways, but that was how humans functioned. If there was ever a time where humans cared about one another, it was nothing more than a fabrication- humans only cared about one another in order to save face, to feel good about themselves.

In reality, humans were selfish. Nothing done was ever 'selfless'. Everything done had a purpose, and you cannot argue that indisputable fact.

Maybe that was why she wasn't exactly focused on the people around her, but her own thoughts. It might've been something completely useless, but the sudden flash of pictures in her head told her otherwise. A flashback, a memory? She didn't know, but it was flashing by inside of her head so vividly.

* * *

 _The detective grinned as he noticed the worry on Tomoyo's face. She was staring at him, looking at him with that hardened gaze. She couldn't say anything at this moment, only focused on the man who sighed softly to himself, speaking with a gentle voice, "If you're really uncomfortable with it, you don't need to do it. I'm not forcing you to. I know Kiyoko might get mad, but I'll handle that when the time comes."_

" _I… I'm not uncomfortable." Tomoyo found herself averting her gaze. Although she knew she could speak with him on equal levels, he held a higher position than her, so she felt intimidated at this point. Why? Even she didn't know. "I'm just doubting myself for a bit, that's all."_

" _You're doing this for a purpose. I know you're not in a worse state than people like Shinji and the others were, but you have your own reasons for doing this, and it's valid." Watari smiled- it was quite genuine and soft. "You're part of my team, so you can just tell me anything. We're nearing the end, after all."_

 _Tomoyo glanced at him again. He was still staring at her. "... How's Tadaomi and the others? They're safe, right?"_

" _They're fine. They've escaped the public eye." Watari's face darkened, if not ever so slightly. "Hitomu's talking to them at the moment. He's quite good at cheering them up, after all."_

" _Oh, he is." Tomoyo's face softened at that. A small smile crept to her lips. "He's sweet towards Shinji and the others, after all, so it's expected of him."_

" _Yeah? He's honestly such an influential person here. He can easily become our head mascot or something. I'm not even that good of a leader." Watari laughed, scratching his head. His hands were slightly red. "I… I don't know. It's been years since we formed this group, huh?"_

" _I'm surprised." Tomoyo chuckled. "I… I honestly didn't think much of it. To think about everything, how my life is nothing more than a lie…"_

 _Watari frowned. "It's fine. Once this is all over, we'll be able to show who's on top. We can turn our own lives upside down."_

" _Yeah…" And Tomoyo honestly believed that, even when the faint sounds of sirens and screaming were heard in the background._

* * *

A hand touched her shoulder.

"Hey." It was Kyatchi. The juggler was looking at her calmly, yet those scrunched eyebrows and slightly pale features of his told her otherwise. "You alright? I know it's probably fucking traumatizing you right now, but… like, nobody's really too keen on investigating at the moment and I think Watari will kill us if you keep standing there like a fucking statue."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She stared at the juggler for a moment, then slowly glanced around the room- there was a lack of people inside the room. No one knew where Shinjimae had ran off to, and Akio and Yume were missing. Masako was inside, though she was curled in a corner. The screenwriter bit into her lips. "... Did everyone see the body- er, Watari, though? I would hate to think that they just ignored Monokuma's announcement."

"Oh, no worries, sunshine." Kyatchi snickered dryly, though his eyes lacked that bright shine of amusement. "They ran in here while you were blanked out. Monokuma gave us shit for letting Watari die like that, so I think the duo left to either mope or vent their anger at a wall. Masako's…" He glanced over at her. "... I mean, Watari was the one who tried to open her up, and since he's dead… well, she's been mumbling about how everything's her fault for a while. She stopped, but she's still curled up there."

 _Masako…_ Tomoyo bit into her lips, gaze hardened. Her focus was now entirely on Masako, and honestly, she had no idea if the woman noticed her gaze. Her heart ached … _I really should've apologized to you. Can I even comfort her now? I… I'm not sure._

"Doubting yourself?" Kyatchi grinned. "Honestly, if I was Masako, I would hate to be comforted by you, but given the situation, I think you should go at it. You don't seem to be doing well yourself."

Tomoyo blushed slightly. Was it humiliating? Yes, it most likely was. She didn't need someone to tell her how she was feeling, but at the same time, Kyatchi was right- she was continuously guilt tripping herself. Was it her fault Masako was like this? Most likely. Was it her fault Watari died? Maybe. She just couldn't get those thoughts out of her head.

Was that why her eyes shifted over to his dead body? Oh, god, most likely. Even though she knew the detective hated her guts, she honestly did care about him. He wasn't the nicest person, but she knew he was slowly softening up to people- he trusted her at one point, and it was obvious he cared about everyone, even if it was subtle.

No one deserved to die. Tomoyo never wanted this. She never wanted anyone to die at all.

 _Ugh, get yourself together though. Just apologize to Masako now and then investigate Watari's death…_ She stopped herself. Did she really have the strength and wit to effectively apologize to Masako? Would Masako even forgive her? God, she was hesitating again, and she was self-doubting again. She hated it. Truly, she hated it.

… _No. I'm one of the only people who can try to calm the rest down. I need to do this._ She audibly breathed. It was a deep breath of air. She calmed herself down. One, two, and three. Was she calm now? Well, she wouldn't have known, but she had to try. Slowly, she looked over to Masako, and made her way towards the survivalist.

Step. Step. Step. Tomoyo was making her way to the survivalist, and stress was overwhelming her. Drops of sweat trickled down from her face, and it took thousands of nerves inside of her to force her to move, to grab at Masako's shoulder and get her attention.

And Masako's head whipped back, and Tomoyo gasped as she noticed the tears falling down from the woman's pale face. She looked horrible, and that was an understatement. Those eyebags, those chapped lips, the snot and tears… God, it was so horrible.

"W-what do you want…?" Masako was gasping, panting heavily. "I… A-are you going to blame me? I-I already know… it's my… fault… my fault…"

Tomoyo felt her voice leaving her. She choked. "W-what do you mean? I just…"

"N-no, I already know. It's my fault." Masako was shaking her head sadly, arms still hugging her knees tightly. "I-I… I could've saved him… W-Watari…"

"What do you mean by that?" Tomoyo frowned, though worry was still apparent on her face. "No way, I doubt it's your fault at all…"

"Lies…" Masako was wiping her tears. Her eyes were red. "I-I'm sure you don't actually think that… Besides, m-maybe if I had replied then…"

The screenwriter bit into her lips. She didn't want this. "M-Masako, I sincerely doubt it's your fault-"

"B-but it is!" Masako cried. The tears from her eyes never stopped flowing. "I-if I had responded to Watari's text, t-then maybe we could've hung out and then…! And then he wouldn't have… d-died…!"

Tomoyo gulped. Her stomach was overwhelmed with butterflies. "I… I need an explanation to know what you mean." She looked away. Why couldn't she look her in the face? "I still don't think you're at… fault…"

Masako shook her head. She refused to believe. She will continue to refuse reality (or maybe it wasn't reality, but a lie). She quickly dug into her pocket and took out her MonoPad, shoving it at the screenwriter. "... Here. You'll understand."

Tomoyo looked at her uneasily. Her eyes shifted to the MonoPad. Slowly, slowly she took ahold of the device. She turned it on, and instantly she was brought to a single message.

 **[Chatroom: (Masako/Watari)**

 **Watari: Hello. (12:58 PM)**

 **Masako: (Type here…)]**

The screenwriter was silent. She had a feeling it wouldn't put Masako under an innocent light, and that was obvious. It was too obvious. She gulped, slowly handing it back to the survivalist who quickly took it and hugged her knees. "... I still don't think it was your fault. Were you, er, asleep?"

Masako heaved a soft breath. "I-I wasn't… I-I was awake, and I thought I should text him later…" She wheezed. "Y-yeah! It's my fault then…"

"It's not." Tomoyo slowly reached for the woman's shoulder. It was awkward, forced, but she didn't know how else to express herself. "I… I'm sorry."

Another gasp. It was more painful and tragic than anything else. "Y-yes? Huh?"

Tomoyo held her breath. Even if it was humiliating, embarrassing, she had to continue. "I know this is bad timing and everything, but I know you need this… I'm sorry, for everything. For ignoring you and making up excuses for myself, yeah, I just… I'm really sorry. I should've been more understanding."

Silence. It rang silent in the area, and Tomoyo was left between a mixture of pain and anxiety. Did she say something wrong? Was she wrong somewhere? Was she supposed to cry and beg? Oh god, she didn't know. She didn't know, she didn't know-

"I forgive you."

"H-huh?"

Masako was looking at Tomoyo, straight in the eyes. Although she was still shaking, eyes still watery and wet, she was staring into the screenwriter, shakily continuing on with a soft, "I-I forgive you… I thought you hated me… so I never talked to you even when he, Watari…" Her voice was drowned out by the ringing in Tomoyo's ears. "... I-it's fine. It's my fault too."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She quickly shook her head. "Masako, no, none of this was your fault. If anything, I-" She found herself stopping, a picture all too clear in her head: Shinjimae, yelling at her. Her shoulders fell. "... It's not any of our faults, okay? The circumstances here, and…"

Even when she wanted to convince herself of it, she failed. She couldn't help but feel like everything was a result of her own mistakes. Yet, even if she were to say that, she knew Masako would hate it. She just couldn't say it at all. Not for her sake, but for Masako's.

"You would've never known anyone was going to kill or be killed." Tomoyo reached over to touch Masako, to comfort her with her warm hand. "Reality is just… harsh, yeah, it's just harsh. You would've never known if Watari was going to die. We're humans and you are valid in what you're feeling right now and I can't ignore them. You have the right to mourn Misaki's death, and I was stupid to force my guilt away… I, if anything, I think you're not in the wrong at all."

God, she didn't know what she was saying. Did she even make any sense? God, she didn't know. All she needed was to calm Masako down and… She didn't know, she just wanted Masako to be safe.

"Yeah… I-I guess…" Masako was breathing heavily, exhausted. "... But is that a lie? Are you lying to me?"

"I'm not." Tomoyo's face saddened. "Nothing's your fault at all. You're fine, seriously."

The survivalist gulped. "A-are you sure…?"

"Of course I'm sure." Tomoyo forced a smile, getting up to her feet. She looked down at her friend and threw a hand out. "Come on, we should get going. I… I know it's a bad situation for us, but, y'know…"

Masako sniffled in her snot. She let out a soft cough, and forced back her own smile. "Y-yeah." Shakily, she took Tomoyo's hand, and forced herself up. "Yeah, you're right. I-I need to compose myself, yeah."

"Yeah." Tomoyo's smile fell softer. Her eyes were looking up at the woman. "If, y'know, you don't feel well, you should step out. I'm sure the others will come back to investigate anyways, so…"

Masako frowned, shaking her head. "N-no, I need to do this. I know people will blame me because of the message, so…" She sighed, forcing herself to stay calm. "I should at least stay here and watch over his… his body…"

Tomoyo held her breath. The thought of the detective's dead body made her stomach rumble uneasily. "It's alright. I… It'll be fine. Just think on the bright side." She forced a smile, all to comfort the woman. "Watari's not suffering anymore here. He's… he's resting."

Masako gulped. She looked over to Watari's dead body, face saddening. "Yeah… he's just resting. H-he's in a better place now. I'm sure he is…"

"Uhuh, yeah." Looking back, Kyatchi was closer to the duo. He was staring down at them, scratching his head. "I mean, now that you guys made up and all that shit, I doubt Monokuma's going to be nice and let us just talk and waste time. Shinji and the others aren't back either, sooooo we better get going."

"O-oh!" Masako's eyes widened. She rapidly nodded her head, awkwardly smiling. "R-right. Sorry about that, er, Kyatchi."

Tomoyo sighed as she glanced at the survivalist. _I doubt you should apologize about that… it's fine, at least she's not panicking too much now._ She scratched her head, heart beating at a slightly erratic pace. _But her and Watari… the message… it's not going to go well for her at all._

Well, she doubted that Masako could've killed Watari. If anything, Tomoyo knew those two had recently gotten close enough to the extent of being friends. Other than that, Tomoyo knew Masako wasn't the type to harm others. While she was a survivalist, she wasn't mean in any way- she was a kindhearted and soft, nervous individual. It would shock and horrify Tomoyo if she were to learn that Masako was Watari's murderer.

Kyatchi stretched his arms out. "Ugh, I'm so stiff." He rubbed his eyes and looked at the women. "Let's search the body and shit already."

"Right… yeah." Tomoyo threw the juggler a look, but nodded her head and heeded his words nonetheless. She slowly made her way over to the body, eyes gazing sadly at Watari- his poor, lifeless body. Her lips were pursed, and slowly, she reached into her pocket and took out her MonoPad. She silently turned it on, and navigated to the truth bullets; of course, the case file was already there.

* * *

 **Case File #5**

 **Summary: The victim of this case was the Ultimate Detective, Watari Irino. It was noted that he has died around 8:01 PM inside of the upper library. He has been tortured to no end, it would've been estimated (from the wounds) around an hour long before he died out of blood loss. He had plenty of additional wounds and broken bones, but the most noticeable wound would be the bloody wound behind the head.**

* * *

Tomoyo gulped. Reading the case file didn't help calm her nerves at all- if anything, it worsened them. While she had seen Watari's body at first glance, to read about it was nonetheless making her uneasy and anxious. It disgusted her to hear such words about the detective, no matter how true they were to reality.

"Damn, he was conscious for that long?" Kyatchi was whispering to himself. While his usual expression screamed sarcasm and bitterness, the shock in his face told Tomoyo otherwise. "... whoever killed him is just fucking…"

Masako shakily took out her MonoPad. "W-where should we start?" she asked, eyeing the screenwriter. "S-should I try to look for Shinji and the others or help here?"

"I'll text them." Kyatchi raised a hand, immediately taking on the leader like role. "I don't know if Shinji would be able to help out given his current state, but I have no idea where Yume and Blaise are."

 _Blaise…_ Her face immediately soured at that. The slight confusion on Masako's face threw her back into reality. She coughed, clearing her throat. "Well, in the meantime, I think we should just do our best to investigate the crime scene here."

"Yeah…" Masako held her breath. Eyes slowly looked over at the lifeless body. "For Watari's sake… and ours."

The screenwriter made a mental nod at that. Although it pained her as much as it did Masako or Kyatchi to move on, she had to. She held her breath, steadied her heart, and stepped forward… forward to Watari's body. Her footsteps were heavy on her, her breathing hitched. Even though he was only a few steps away, it felt like hours before she reached his proximity. She gulped.

Watari's body was there, right in front of her very eyes. Even though he was blindfolded, just seeing how soaked it was creeped her out. It made her uncomfortable. She almost didn't want to untie it, not even the gag that was tight around his mouth. _Watari…_ She placed a hand over to his cheek, brushing her fingers against him. _Whoever killed you was too cruel. I wouldn't think anyone here had a grudge though._

She bit into her lips, bringing down her fingers. They were slightly wet and red now. _Alright, let's take this slow and see what happens._ The woman took a moment to step back, eyeing the detective from top to bottom. What she noticed first was the blindfold and gag on his face.

* * *

 **Blindfold and Gag**

 **Summary: Bloody and soaked. Used to restrain Watari.**

* * *

While looking at the blindfold and gag, Tomoyo took notice of the amount of wounds etched into the man's skin. Even if his clothes were tattered up now, they were still bloody and soaked. The amount of red covering him was just horrifying.

"Hey, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo looked back, eyeing Kyatchi who dropped his MonoPad to the side and walked over. "I'm going to untie him so we can inspect his body more closely, so if you still need time to investigate some shit in this state right now, you should hurry up."

"Right…" The screenwriter bit into her lips, taking a second look at Watari. Her attention now shifted to the rope that held Watari down. It was a long, but typical type of rope used to restrain people. They were knotted and tied harshly around the detective's waist and limbs, keeping him confined to the chair. Rope burns covered his skin. The woman pursed her lips.

* * *

 **Rope**

 **Summary: Slightly bloody and torn. This was used to restrain Watari to the chair.**

* * *

Speaking of that, Tomoyo observed the chair Watari was held down to. It was a standard chair used in the library. She took notice of the other chairs in the room, and nodded to herself- this was a chair that belonged to this library. As important or as unimportant as that may be, she still noted it in her head.

* * *

 **Library Chair**

 **Summary: A simple chair that Watari was restrained to.**

* * *

Her eyes scanned downwards. Around the detective was shattered glass and torn up pieces of paper. The glass held tiny bits of blood on them. Was a glass smashed and used to injure the poor detective? Tomoyo wasn't sure, but she bent down to her knees to eye the pieces of paper around the man's corpse.

Words. There were words on the pieces of paper. Although most of them were single letters or broken up words, some were obviously coined together and linked. She quickly looked through each torn piece of paper, trying to gather as much as she could.

 _Murder, death, apocalypse... someone… help… attack… cult… leader, blood, elimination…_ Tomoyo quickly scanned through the rest of the pieces, but she couldn't form anything. Either there were single letters or a few consonants, or they were soaked in Watari's own pool of blood. Either way, there was no way to retrieve them, and Tomoyo silently cursed in her head.

However, what Tomoyo did notice was the difference in handwriting throughout a few notes she gathered up. From how messy one handwriting is to another, Tomoyo immediately concluded the notes came from different people. _Watari's… and maybe the killer's?_

* * *

 **Torn Up Papers and Glass**

 **Summary: There were torn up papers and glass around Watari. The torn up papers seemed to be a mixture from his notes and others. The glass seemed to have been made from various shot glasses.**

* * *

"Tomoyo." Kyatchi threw the woman a stern look. He had been toying with his bandannas in the meantime. "You done checking on Watari?"

"That's… y-yeah, I think so." Tomoyo nodded her head, going back up on her feet. She stepped back, giving the juggler some space. "Feel free."

Kyatchi nodded and moved over to Watari's body. He threw the detective an awkward smile. "Sorry, buddy." Those were his last words before he slowly moved his hands over to untie Watari's gag and blindfold. He slowly took the gag and blindfold in his hands, then tossed it to the side. Silence.

"God." Kyatchi grinned. "Watari, you creep."

Tomoyo's eyes widened, looking over at the dead body again. Immediately did she understand what Kyatchi meant and why he was smiling so bitterly- the detective was smiling in death, eyes closed and lips curled. Although the pain that was inflicted on him was intolerable, he was peaceful… calm. _He accepted it._ Tomoyo's stomach churned. _He suffered too much, so when he realized he was going to die… god, Watari…_

How could the world be so cruel?

Tomoyo averted her gaze, shaking her head. She refused to look at the juggler who now went over to untie the detective, her focus going back to Masako who had been staring around the room. "Hey," she began, speaking softly as she came close. "Did you find anything?"

Masako's eyes widened. "Eep!" She quickly turned to Tomoyo, then sighed. "Y-yes, I'm fine. I was just… thinking."

"Makes sense." The screenwriter nodded. "You didn't find anything yet? It's okay if you want to rest."

"No, it's not that, it's just…" She slowly pointed up, straight at the camera and flashlight. "S-seeing those things up worries me."

 _They're potential pieces of evidence, yeah._ Tomoyo held her breath, instantly taking her step forward. "Mhm. I'll go check them."

"Y-yeah. Sorry." Masako looked to the side. "It's just… the camera gives me bad vibes and I'm already not feeling well, so… if there's any pictures or videos, then…"

That only made her feel worse. Tomoyo went silent for a second, unsure of what to say. She just stayed silent- that was the only thing she knew what to do, and she hopped up and snatched the objects from the shelf.

The first object that she took notice of was the camera, of course. She frowned as she eyed it, observing it- it was quite a high-tech camera, having a stand attached to it and the lens being as clean as can be. Although it looked small and was quite light, it obviously acted like both a camera and a video recorder.

* * *

 **Camera**

 **Summary: On the top shelf. It was angled to point over at Watari.**

* * *

However, that wasn't of notice to Tomoyo much as what she noticed next. Upon inspection of the object, her eye caught ahold of the power button. She frowned, slowly turning it on. The words of Masako rang inside of her mind, but she fought it- there shouldn't be anything bad, right? There was nothing bad! She wanted to reassure herself of this, yet, once the camera turned on, a video began to play:

[The camera showed nothing but darkness. Well, it was dark except for the flashlight that shone in the center. It brightened up the view of a hostage- the detective himself.

Watari was struggling in his restraints, groaning and panting through his gag. His body was already red and clothes torn up. His fingernails seemed to have been separated from his being, forced off. The detective was now in a state of hyperventilation and panic, his breathing and cries apparent.

"C'mon, can't you act tough for once?" It was a chilly voice. It was a voice foreign to all, though it was pitched low and static. "You were so confident when you were outside. You never screamed when you were shot that one time. You used to be so cool…"

Watari screamed. A sharp knife had cut into his back. He recoiled back and tried to cry out something.

"Do you want to beg? Y'know no one will actually feel sympathy towards you."

Shudder. The detective screamed louder as the knife cut into his skin, deeper. It was going in so deep, and it was so obvious how much this was hurting the poor raven- he was screaming, trying to struggle, and yet it was futile, useless.

"Everyone's watching you. Don't you feel special?"

Hiccuping. Sobbing. It sounded like the detective was trying to choke something out, to cry for somebody to save him.

"It's alright. Everyone will remember this day as the day fucking Satan finally died. It would've been so perfect if you just died with her…"

Another strangled cry and choked sob.

"Hmm, fine, I'll let you say something. You do deserve to say something before death, y'know? You are the voice of your own people, after all."

And once the gag was slightly loose, a pained scream escaped the victim's lips.

"F-fuck you! You know this will solve nothing-!"

And another scream escaped his lips as a knife stabbed deeper into him.]

* * *

 **Video Tape**

 **Summary: The camera had saved a video of Watari during his torture. The murderer's voice is robotic and obviously distorted, especially since the killer hid their face.**

* * *

The camera turned off. Automatic. It went silent now, Tomoyo unable to comprehend what she just saw, what horrendous sights she had seen.

Was that actually real? Was what she saw real?

God, it was horrible. It was too horrible. The acid in her stomach almost wanted to throw up inside of her mouth, almost spurting out from her. She just couldn't believe what she saw- to see the dead body of a tortured soul was horrifying, but this? To actually watch a recording of her own classmate suffer like this? God, it made her sick to her stomach. Her entire soul left her. It was just too uncanny… too uncanny…

 _No. No, I need to get ahold of myself._ Tomoyo silently berated herself in her head, shaking back and forth. She couldn't falter. No, she couldn't allow herself to vomit or wretch up in pain. Even when others did, she needed to stand up. If Kyatchi could do it and if she could persuade Masako out from her trance, then she could stand tall and proud. She just needed to fight on.

… _I should look at the other thing I got._ And, that, well, would be the flashlight. It was a normal flashlight, she observed, but the one thing that struck her as unusual would be the lack of buttons. _How would someone turn this on then?_ Did it even serve a purpose? She didn't know.

* * *

 **Flashlight**

 **Summary: It looks like a normal and big flashlight, however there are no buttons to turn the light on. It was near where the camera was.**

* * *

She heard shuffling from behind. Turning her head back, she found the juggler slowly undoing Watari's clothes, the detective now on the ground and untied. Her heart jumped. Her face turned red and she immediately shrieked. "K-Kyatchi, what are you doing?!"

Kyatchi raised a brow, looking at Tomoyo. "Uh, inspecting the body?" A few more seconds passed before he grinned. "Aww, wait, are you scared you're going to see his-"

"P-please don't talk about it!" Tomoyo quickly shook her hands about and looked over to Masako. Eyes widened. "S-she wouldn't want to hear about it either!"

"H-huh?" Masako was obviously confused. "What is happening? I blanked out, I, uh…"

"Just inspecting a body. It'll be quick." Kyatchi threw a shiteating grin at the screenwriter, then went back down to look at the body. His fingers were messing with the detective's clothes, slowly taking them apart and stripping Watari's body. A few seconds passed before the juggler clicked his tongue. "... Damn, that's fucking harsh."

Tomoyo slowly moved over, taking a peek. Her eyes widened. Even though it was to be expected, the amount of wounds inflicted on the poor detective was numerous, almost impossible to count. His body had been etched with blood, wounds, bruises… everything. If the broken bones weren't enough to account for, then the picture of Watari's nude top was enough. She held her breath, slowly focusing on Kyatchi who was staring at the wounds.

"... The murderer's such a sadist." Kyatchi pointed over to Watari's arms and sides. "The clothes hid it well, but goddamn did the killer take the time to enjoy themselves.."

And Kyatchi was right- on the detective's fair skin were wounds that were cut precisely and made to spell out certain words. From the word 'mass murderer' to 'messiah', it was so clear what the killer wanted- to leave a mark on Watari.

 _Ugh… I'm going to be sick._ Tomoyo slowly reached over to squeeze Masako's hand; she could hear the distress in Masako's breaths.

* * *

 **Bloody Messages**

 **Summary: There are words that are etched into Watari's skin, particularly on his arms and sides. They are the following: 'mass murderer', 'lonely', 'criminal', and 'messiah'.**

* * *

"That's disgusting… I…" Kyatchi cussed underneath his breath, mumbling some words inaudible to the pair of women. He went silent now, moving over to button up the detective again. Another long, long sigh escaped his lips; and then there was more mumbling.

Tomoyo counted silently to herself. One, two, and three. She glanced over to Masako. "Are you alright?"

Shaky breaths. "Y-yeah, I'm fine." She slowly released her grip around Tomoyo, shaking her off. "I'll be fine."

The screenwriter looked at her for a second, examining her expression. While she was still worried about the survivalist, she knew Masako wouldn't want her to be too focused on her. The shorter woman sighed softly and walked over to Kyatchi. "Can you… well, can you check his MonoPad?"

Kyatchi raised a brow, then nodded. He reached into Watari's pocket and took out the MonoPad, handing it to the woman. "All yours."

"Thank you." Hesitantly, the woman opened the MonoPad and held it close to her. Her grip was unusually tight. The device easily turned on despite the slight strains of blood painted on the technology, and Tomoyo moved over to the messages.

She frowned, observing the first message seen. It was, as expected from Watari himself, then thrown at Masako. She gulped. This was definitely not going to end well for the survivalist- but, then again, the woman wasn't exactly sure who would be blaming Masako. Akio? Was he the type?

… _Maybe._ She shook her head. Then again, she was the one who accused Misaki, so what reason did she have now to not want Masako to be accused? Figuring out the truth was better than keeping it in, after all.

Continuing on, the woman realized Watari and Shinjimae loved to keep in touch. It seemed like the duo were close to each other, and Tomoyo couldn't help but chuckle at that- at least Watari acted decently nice towards the poor animal whisperer.

But, what was most interesting and worrying about the conversations Watari had with people was definitely the one with Monokuma. Tomoyo frowned, lips curling in unease as she saw the last message sent. It seemed like Monokuma was saying goodbye to Watari…

Eyes widened. _They broke ties? But Watari never…_ She frowned, her heart immediately breaking into a thousand more pieces. _He didn't want anyone to know, that selfish… Idiot._ Her breathing was hitched, unsteady. _And what's this about Kiyoko? God, he's been hiding so much from everyone. He broke his alliance with Monokuma a while ago._

Another epiphany screamed at her. He only got his contract offed because of what she said to him beforehand. Was this her fault? Was it her fault Watari's deal with Monokuma ended up like this? God, she hated it.

But do not think about that at the moment. It is not appropriate to think about it. That was not the focus right now. Her focus was elsewhere.

A message appeared on the screen. It was from the group chat. Tomoyo quickly tapped onto the notification, eyeing who sent the message.

 **[Chatroom: (Group Chatroom)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Kyatchi: Yo, like, where y'all at? (11:58 PM)**

 **Kyatchi: We're gonna die at this rate if you can't get your asses over to the library. (11:59 PM)**

 **Akio: Sorry! Yume and I were trying to find Shinji, but we couldn't find him anywhere. (12:18 AM)]**

Tomoyo could hear the sound of tapping. She glanced over to Kyatchi who seemed annoyed, tying a message into the screen.

 **[Kyatchi: I'm sure he'll be fine, he just needs space or whatever. (12:18 AM)**

 **Akio: Right. (12:19 AM)**

 **Akio: Well, if that's what you say, then should we head over? We can search the other areas then. (12:19 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: Like Watari's room? (12:20 AM)]**

She noticed the bewildered look Kyatchi threw at her. It almost looked like he was scowling at her, almost like he didn't want her to contribute at all. The screenwriter shook her head and quickly glanced back at the MonoPad.

 **[Akio: Yeah, I'll head there then. (12:20 AM)**

 **Kyatchi: Gotcha. Don't fucking die, or do, I don't care. (12:21 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: (Type here…)]**

 _God, he still hates him._ And Tomoyo was caught in the crossfire of that dynamic. She awkwardly scratched her head as she eyed her device, almost blankly at it. It didn't even click to her head when she felt her MonoPad vibrate, and she found herself staring at a direct message from the actor himself.

 **[Chatroom: (Tomoyo/Akio)**

 **(More on top…)**

 **Akio: Shinji's not with you, right? (12:22 AM)]**

Tomoyo frowned. She slowly tapped into the keyboard.

 **[Tomoyo: No, he isn't. Have you looked everywhere? (12:22 AM)**

 **Akio: Yeah, but Yume told me to stop since he probably needs his alone time. (12:23 AM)**

 **Akio: Just hit me up when you see him! I don't want him to be lonely. (12:23 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: Alright. (12:34 AM)**

 **Tomoyo: (Type here…)]**

The woman sighed and put her MonoPad away. Akio definitely cared about the animal whisperer that's for sure, and she respected that. She chuckled inside her head before looking around the library, noticing the juggler patting Watari's bloody back before glancing over to her. His eyebrows narrowed and he approached.

"I'm done checking his body." Kyatchi crossed his arms, staring down the screenwriter. "You think we should check elsewhere now?"

"Hm…" Kyatchi thought for a second, then glanced over to the side. Masako was a few meters away. "Did you find anything?" He called out.

Tomoyo saw the jump in Madako's body. She quickly glanced over at Kyatchi and pointed to the center of the room. "Ah, yes… Uh, I-I just saw the weapon…"

The screenwriter and juggler exchanged glances before walking over to her side. They made their way to look around, finding the exact weapon that had been smashed behind the detective's head: a bloody baseball bat.

Kyatchi frowned, twirling a bandanna around in place before taking the initiative. He stepped forward and bent down to the bat, eyeing it. It was painted in red, scarred with Watari's own blood. He frowned as he noticed a few spots of red from the carpet. It seemed like the killer couldn't care less if this exact weapon was found.

* * *

 **Bloody Bat**

 **Summary: The weapon that was used to hit Watari with. It was laid out in the middle of the library. It is bloody.**

* * *

"Hmm, any thoughts on this?" Kyatchi asked, glancing at Masako.

The woman bit into her lips, breathing heavily. "N-not really." She gulped. "I'm just thinking that, uh, if the weapon was the bat and given how Watari… well, wouldn't the killer be covered in blood?"

"That's a good point." Kyatchi frowned. "Then I'm assuming the killer wore some costume or whatever. Maybe burned them."

Tomoyo sighed, nodding her head slowly. "That's a possibility. It's hard to escape being covered in blood using a bat… and through torturing someone."

"E-exactly." The survivalist sighed. "Maybe we should tell Blaise and Yume to, uh, search around? I know they're busy looking for Shinji, but still…"

Kyatchi threw the woman a thumbs up. "Whatever you say." He easily whipped out his device and typed in a quick message. A few seconds passed before he lowered the MonoPad. "Well, given that there's nothing else here, maybe we should move out and check other areas? I mean, other than watching his body… Eh, I can do it."

"I-I mean…" Masako awkwardly cupped her hands together, rubbing her fingers. "Er…"

A grin. "Y'know, being honest is what leads to people surviving in incidents. That's why I'm not dead yet." He shrugged as he walked back, closer to where Watari's body was. "You can watch the body with me. Ms. Ikeda can check the other places and meet with the others."

Tomoyo bit into her lips, noticing the slight sneer in his eyes. She glanced at Masako who threw her a wary look, and nodded her head slowly. "I can go meet up with the others. You two can go watch over the body."

"I-if you're sure…" Masako glanced over at Kyatchi and bowed her head down. "I'm sorry, I'm just so paranoid and… I hate suspecting anyone for this, but-"

"Valid, don't beat yourself up about it." Kyatchi chuckled. "You have to suspect everyone, and some people are just too naive to not think like that. Human nature, ha, lame."

The screenwriter raised a brow at the juggler, then took a step back. Her focus was on leaving, and she gestured to the duo. They gave her a nod, and she made her way out. Somehow, the air was much more fresh here.

A harsh sigh escaped her lips. _Alright, I need to go down and check with the others. I hope they're still in Watari's room or something… I need to see what they think and not waste time here._

She found a resolve in that, and quickly moved her way down. She made her way around the hallways and moved in the same direction she had always found herself moving to and fro from- into the dormitories, and making her way into Watari's room.

Well, she thought she would've, but Akio and Yume were outside of the door, talking to one another. She frowned and quickly approached them. "Is something wrong?"

Akio's eyes widened. "Oh, Tomoyo." He threw her an awkward smile as he scratched the back of his head. "Well, after Yume and I decided to go check out Watari's room, Monokuma told us we couldn't go inside and that it's invading Watari's privacy."

"Should've been expected, honestly." The nihilist scoffed, turning to the side. "Watari was Monokuma's helper, so I'm sure those two had stuff in the room they don't want to be revealed."

Tomoyo flinched at that. "Yeah, about that…"

"Well, it's fine." Akio cut the woman off. Was this intentional? Tomoyo wasn't sure, but the actor spoke nonetheless. "You haven't seen Shinji anywhere?"

"No, I haven't." Tomoyo pursed her lips. "I… I did apologize to Masako though."

"Really? Great!" The man smiled brightly, gleeful. "That's amazing to hear. It's good to know that you two made up."

Yume was silent for a few seconds. "... I'm assuming Kyatchi and Masako are watching over the body then?"

The screenwriter nodded her head. "Yeah." A few seconds passed. "Did you two find anything useful?"

The nihilist immediately froze at this. Her lips curled and she looked to the side, scoffing. "I got something." She folded her arms. Uneasiness was apparent on her pale face. "I already told Blaise here, but uh, it was something to do with Kyatchi."

"Kyatchi?" Tomoyo raised a brow. "What happened?"

"... Something about a letter he got." Yume's face bittered even more. "It was just about a threat against me and some information…" She scoffed. "I don't even care about that information, but I don't get why there needs to be a threat against me. No one cares about me."

"Nonsense." Akio threw a harsh look at the nihilist, but dropped it and focused his attention on Tomoyo. "From what she told me, she and Kyatchi met earlier to talk about the letter he got, but she got annoyed and ran off before he could really say anything else."

"Not my fault. It's annoying." Yume clicked her tongue, squinting her eyes. "I… I honestly doubt that information's real."

"What's the information about?" Tomoyo asked. She quickly shook her head. "Er, well, if you're willing to share it, of course."

Eyes stared into her soul. The nihilist just stood there, staring at her. A few seconds passed. It was insanely quiet, intense. Her breathing was hitched and uneven,her expression subtly relaxed as she made a soft sigh. "... My therapist had a short alliance with Misaki, that's all."

"W-what?" Tomoyo blinked. "How is that-"

"I don't care. Just ask Kyatchi." She shook her head. "It's too much work to explain myself to everyone."

Tomoyo was forced silent. She was baffled, turning to Akio for an answer- he merely shrugged and gave a hesitant smile. _Then again, Yume and Kyatchi are close…_ She almost wanted to sigh and give up, but made a mental note in her head on what she was told.

* * *

 **Letter**

 **Summary: Yume confessed that Kyatchi went outside earlier to ask her about murder. She said that he received a letter that Yume was going to die and wanted to talk to her about it, but she ran away out of annoyance. Other than this, there was also information that Yume's therapist was involved with Misaki.**

* * *

 _I… What would be the connection between the therapist and Misaki? I guess I have to ask Kyatchi about Yume._ She was still quiet, thinking to herself. _But that's just another connection between us. It all just screams 'suspicious' every second I think about it. Why were we captured and what exactly is the purpose of this killing game?_

God, maybe if she just tried to get closer to Watari and press on she would know. She didn't though, and it was too late- you cannot change reality.

"So," Akio broke her train out thought, "Any theories as to why Watari died? It's obvious the killer had an agenda."

"... Watari did have a different way of thinking from us," the screenwriter admitted, forcing herself to answer. "He really did soften up though. It's hard to think someone could even commit a deed like this…"

Yume snorted. "Almost like we're murderers at heart."

Honestly, that brought chills down her spine. She shivered and held her breath, shaking. What caused the killing game to initiate, what caused Kiyoko to go crazy- all from what Watari said. Sure, one could argue that it was Watari's fault, but what if the truth came out that everyone were murderers… then what? Tomoyo was left without an answer.

"Well, no matter what, we're not going to let the killer get away with this." Akio pumped a fist in. "We need to give them their well-deserved justice."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. She shuddered. She felt like a sudden picture ran through her head, a flashback to that specific part.

* * *

 _Tomoyo looked over at Akio who closed the door behind him. She frowned slightly, noticing how he was observing her room. While she didn't respect that, she decided to ignore it and cleared her throat. "I talked to Watari again today."_

" _What did he say this time?" Akio raised a brow. "It better be something useful. We don't have time to waste. His nonsense is what is getting us all killed."_

" _... I know that." Tomoyo kept her hands close together. "He's still suspicious of me."_

" _I expected nothing less." Akio smirked, though it was more bitter than anything else. "You are trying to help us, right? You're not wasting time, right?"_

 _Of course the actor would be harsh towards her. The screenwriter knew that Akio suspected she didn't trust him fully, and that's why he resorted to using peer pressure and blackmail to make her agree in this group's little project of spying. "I'm not. He's just very cautious, that's all."_

 _The brunette slowly nodded his head. "True, especially since he's working for Monokuma. He doesn't want to be killed, that rat."_

 _Tomoyo glanced at him for a second, looking to the side. She noticed all the notes she wrote on her desk. "... I don't think you have to treat him so harshly. I mean, towards me."_

" _He's not here and I doubt you would do anything about it." He sighed, scratching his head._

 _And the screenwriter would stay quiet again for a few moments, hearing the one word Akio spoke to himself-_

" _Trash."_

* * *

Another sigh from the actor. "I wonder if Shinji's doing alright. I'm so worried about him. He's been… latching on to Watari, so I'm worried he's taking the death horribly."

"Huh, specific choice of words there." Yume was mumbling a few more times, but kept herself from speaking further.

"It's fine." Tomoyo forced herself to stand up, reassuring everyone. "I'm sure Shinji will be alright. He just needs to compose himself for a bit."

And, as if intentionally ruining the mood, the speakers turned on:

"Ahem, ahem! Can everyone please meet in the gymnasium! It's time for the goddamn class trial to start! Woo, I'm so excited!"

That high-pitched voice will never soothe her nerves. That voice was grating to her ears, almost scarring her poor eardrums. It was itchy and horrible, and she wanted nothing more than to shut her brain off at that point.

And, god, to even think about the class trial, that was stressing her out so much that she wanted to burn, right here and then. She hated to be part of something so horrible, to accuse your own peers and to play a game of survival… God, it was horrible.

"I guess we should get going." Akio scratched his head, nervously chuckling. "I mean, we have no choice."

"Pssh. When do we ever get a choice against Monokuma?" Yume snarked, but nodded her head nonetheless.

The brunette rolled his eyes. "Right. Well, let's get going then."

The actor acted as the leader yet again. Even if it was a small deed, it was nonetheless something the woman noticed when she saw Akio walking forward to lead her and Yume to the gymnasium. It was… in all honesty, it was worrying her. Knowing the man's nature and views about the world itself, she couldn't help but worry something bad will inevitably happen, during trial or outside of the trial itself.

Nonetheless, the walk was quiet, sadly and intensely quiet. It was unnerving, almost as if the air was choking her, forcing her voice to twist and turn into knots. She felt her throat inch, the lump inside breaking into pieces and sticking to her skin. Disgusting, choking, suffocating.

Her footsteps were heavy on her, almost as if she was covered in cement. She frowned. She didn't even weigh that much, yet everything was heavy on her- her clothes, her skin… Was she alright? Honestly, she wasn't sure, but that didn't matter. The doors to the gymnasium were closed and were staring down on her, looking down upon her. She gulped. Her stomach churned, and slowly she pushed the doors open.

As if the doors were creaking, trying to intensify her stress and fear. She gulped as she glanced at Yume and Akio, then said nothing once she noticed them taking their steps in. She had to do this, to make the first step in. She held her breath in, and moved.

Of course, Masako and Kyatchi were already inside. Tomoyo's face only dropped once she noticed that Shinjimae himself was still not present.

"... Maybe he's already in the courtroom?" Akio suggested, almost as if he was a psychic. He was looking straight at Tomoyo. "That, or he's making his way here."

"Wouldn't know, handsome." Kyatchi rolled his eyes at Akio, then smirked as he eyed Yume. "How's hanging out with Mr. Handsome here like? Amazing? I bet you're smitten by how he looks."

Yume rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

Masako looked to the left and right. Hesitant, she slowly moved her way to Tomoyo. She quietly (albeit shyly) wrapped an arm around her. "I-I'm nervous, sorry."

"It's alright." Tomoyo forced her voice to soften. Although she wasn't the best at affection, she slowly brought her hand up to massage Masako's own hand. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

The survivalist nodded slowly. "Y-yeah." She looked down at her shoes. "I-it's selfish of me, but without Watari, it's just…"

 _Because he's a detective. He usually saves us from the trials and even though he likes to mess with us, he does contribute._ Tomoyo held her own breath- she didn't want to stress herself out either. "I'm sure we'll figure this out. We just need to think straight."

"But I'm gay." Kyatchi threw a deadpan look at the screenwriter, then snorted. "Pfft, kidding, you dolt."

And without even a second to spare, the cursed black-and-white bear popped out of nowhere to the audience. "Yo, it's me again! The one and only, Monokuma!" He saluted his peers, but that only gave him hostile looks in response. He pouted. "Gosh, tough crowd. Ahem, anyways, it seems like everyone's here- woah, where the fuck is Shinjimae?"

Everyone looked around the room. Akio was the first to answer, speaking in a worried tone, "We're not sure. We couldn't find him anywhere."

Monokuma frowned. "Fucking seriously?" He crossed his tiny arms and huffed. "Gosh, I told you all to meet up here and that guy can't even listen to me!"

"I mean, can't blame the lad." Kyatchi dryly shrugged. "He's not the toughest type of person here, and his friend just died."

"No excuses!" Monokuma shook his paws wildly, red in his face. "Gimme a second! I'm going to lecture that stupid brat!" Grumble grumble. "Can't fucking get to a trial in time."

And in a split second, the bear disappeared.

"Uh…" Yume blinked. "Well, that just happened."

"What if we all just leave?" Kyatchi suggested, throwing everyone a sly look. "Would it make him kill us all or something?"

Akio groaned. "I seriously would advise against that." He crossed his arms. "Monokuma would never let us do something like that. He's not one to go for easy solutions."

The juggler shrugged mockingly. "I mean, you're talking about a crazy ass bear who can easily execute us all if he wanted to, so no shit, Sherlock."

The actor raised a brow, baffled. "Okay, that literally makes no sense."

Masako's hand on Tomoyo tightened. She was obviously uncomfortable with this banter, and Tomoyo quickly decided to resolve the issue with a simple, "We can talk about this after the trial, alright?"

The juggler simply nodded his head, uncaring. "Yeah, sure, I don't have any problems with anything. I'm just here for the ride."

Akio would've retorted with another frown, but it was too clear for all to hear- the sound of utter desperation and fear. It was the sound of sobbing, whimpering, crying.

The doors to the gymnasium were open. Before anyone could even say anything, Monokuma popped his head inside with a joyful grin. His eyes were somehow sparkling, a whistle added to his tune as he greeted with a loud, "I'm baaaack!"

No one said anything, especially when Monokuma made his way inside with a leash. No one was even able to say anything when Saki immediately charged into the center of the room, barking at everyone. It was desperate, tearful, fearful. She was barking so loudly and so much that it echoed throughout the room. She was whining, ears droopy and eyes watery.

Masako gulped as she looked at the labrador. "S-Saki, what's wrong?"

But that question didn't need to be asked, for Monokuma smirked at the group with the leash on his hand. He tugged harshly at the leash and a whimper was heard from behind. "Come in, doggie! You've been a bad boy!"

Monokuma strode inside the room and forced the leash in harder, causing a cry to escape the person behind him. An angry bark escaped Saki's mouth which was followed by a growl, but the poor dog was unable to do anything as Monokuma simply grinned.

It was Shinjimae, the animal whisperer falling down into the room. He was an entire mess, his entire body shaking with his face covered entirely in tears and snot. That usual spark in his doe jade eyes was lost, now replaced with utter tears and desperation. He was panting heavily, hiccuping and choking on his own spit. He was hugging himself entirely, curled into a ball and cradling himself.

And poor Shinjimae was broken beyond repair. The usual clothes he wore were gone, now replaced with what looked like a reflection of what Watari wore. Whether or not Monokuma gave him these clothes or he found some was unknown. It didn't even matter, the animal whisperer was more focused on the collar around his neck. He was just gripping onto it tightly with his tiny fingers, struggling to take it off. It was impossible. It was just impossible to take it off.

"D-daddy… no…" Shinjimae was choking on his own words, hiccuping and sobbing. He was unable to even respond to Monokuma's pull, causing him to choke. "I-I'm going to be good… D-daddy, please…"

Monokuma simply laughed, looking back to Shinjimae. "Not your dad, but close enough! You still need to be punished though. Going fucking rogue on us all, you naughty child."

Another tug. Shinjimae choked out another sob as he slowly crawled closer to Monokuma's proximity. "Hic, I-I'm so sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Hey, asshole." Kyatchi immediately stepped in front of the bear. "What the fuck are you doing? I didn't know you were fucking into BDSM shit."

"Oh, did I actually make the suicidal bitch mad?" The bear snickered. "Cute. But don't you realize this, Kya- the little doggie here wanted to let y'all do the work. Aren't you mad?"

"The only thing I'll be mad at is this fucking abuse." Kyatchi grinned wildly, though it was more out of disgust than anything. "If I could use you as a fucking juggling ball, then I would."

"Scary, good thing I'm the one with authority here." The bear snickered before turning to Saki. He smirked. "Just be glad you're not on a leash too."

Saki whimpered at this and hid behind Masako.

"... You have him already." Tomoyo held her breath. "Can you release him now? He's here now, just like you wanted."

"No." Monokuma's face dropped. He tugged at the leash a few times, stifling nothing more than sobs from the tearful animal whisperer. "I'm punishing him for trying to escape the trial. It's alright, he'll be released soon."

The screenwriter clenched her fists. "And when exactly is soon?"

Monokuma shrugged. "Whenever I feel like he's been punished enough. This isn't the only thing he's going to suffer through anyways." A laugh.

"D-daddy…" Shinjimae was sniffling, repeating himself continuously. "No, please don't p-punish me… I'm sorry… no…"

"Hmph." Monokuma's voice turned cold. "Useless."

Tomoyo felt her entire body heating up. She felt like she wanted to sprint up at the bear and throw her fists down, but that hand that tightened around her own hand kept her still. She could feel the trembling of her friend's hand, and the look of pure worry from everyone else. Even when she heard Saki barking at Monokuma and whimpering over at Shinjimae, she knew she had to compose herself. _Shinji…_

"Anyways!" Monokuma quickly resorted back into his cheerful and sadistic self. He threw his arms up, even tugging unintentionally on the leash that caused Shinjimae to choke and cry. "Since everyone is finally here, it's time to head down to the class trial! Heh, and I need to make sure this dog here will be punished accordingly… Well then! Leeeeeet's go!"

The floor shook underneath the group, and the floor dropped. Again, again, and yet again, the group were falling down to the depths of despair.

The floor had dropped, and the Ultimates fell down to their bosoms, hitting the courtroom ground. Hard, and it was aching.

That didn't matter though. Tomoyo was much more worried about Shinjimae, her eyes immediately turning to find him coughing and struggling in his leather collar.

"I-it hurts…" Shinjimae sobbed as he coughed. He felt his collar being tugged at and he shrieked, forcing himself to his hands and knees. His eyes fearfully looked up at Monokuma. The bear was staring down on him. "No, p-please, I can't breathe…"

Monokuma cleared his throat. "Kids, head over to your podiums!" He then turned back to Shinjimae and began to walk, pulling the leash. "You're coming with me."

Saki quickly scurried to her feet and ran at the bear, barking madly.

"Shush." Monokuma glared angrily and moved forward, taking the crawling man behind him. "You better move aside before I actually have you killed instead as punishment for your owner breaking a rule."

"N-no…!" Shinjimae hiccuped. "S-Saki, m-move aside… please…"

Saki continued to bark for a few seconds, but slowly stopped as she looked at Shinjimae. She threw him a soft whimper before backing off, moving over to Tomoyo and the others.

Monokuma rolled his eyes. "Took long enough." He tugged Shinjimae forward, forcing the animal whisperer to crawl over to the other side of the room. A few seconds (albeit long, disgustingly long seconds) passed before the duo stopped, Monokuma's posture standing confident as he snapped his fingers.

It echoed throughout the room, and suddenly something fell down from the ceiling. A sudden space dropped from the sky, a horrible, horrible boxed space. It was… it was a cage. It wasn't a kennel or anything that can be labeled as even mildly comfortable- it was a dog cage, a proper dog cage with metal bars that would rattle and scream at every tiny attempt of escape. It was right there, haunting the courtroom with its cramped and tiny space.

And it obviously distressed the animal whisperer, the man screaming loudly and shaking his head. "Nononono! N-not in there… Not in there, not in there NOT IN THERE!"

Shinjimae continued to scream loudly, wildly grabbing at his collar and tugging at it. His eyes were completely covered in tears now, his voice hysterical and movements insane. "Daddy, please not there! D-daddy, please please please not in there… I-it's too scary… Please, Daddy, I'm sorry! Daddy-"

"Oh, you won't be alone." Monokuma smirked, looking sadistically at the poor victim. "You'll have a friend with you, your cute little detective~"

"D-detective?" Shinjimae childishly looked up at the bear. He sniffled. "I-is it W-Watari…?"

"Mhm." Monokuma snickered. He moved forward and gripped harshly onto the leash. "But first, Shinjimae, get in the cage."

The animal whisperer's face fell at that and he continued to sob. "Nonono, please, not there, please…" He sobbed. "I'll be a good boy, so Daddy… Daddy, p-please…"

The bear frowned. He glared angrily at the man. "Hurry up. I'm punishing you for a reason. Get in there. You're wasting my time."

Shinjimae couldn't even register the bear's words, immediately curling into a ball again and rocking himself back and forth. "D-daddy, forgive me… please please please just forgive me…"

"Well, damn." Monokuma immediately forced the leash in, causing the hysteric Shinjimae to be forced forward. He roughly dragged the animal whisperer in, moving towards the cage. The Ultimate would begin to scream and cry for forgiveness, and Monokuma would promptly ignore it as he immediately kicked the man inside. Shinjimae would scream louder and try to lunge out, but it was futile as the bear locked the cage. Monokuma stared down at the man and grinned. "I can see why you hate your own name, Shinjimae."

The animal whisperer only hiccuped and sobbed, cradling himself. "No… nonono…"

"You really should 'burn in Hell', you worthless piece of trash." The bear laughed, bellowing in his own words. "God, you're making me laugh! Upupupu, don't worry, you'll get your beloved little Watari too."

And there was the little snap of the fingers, and suddenly there was the rattle of the cage and the weight of something on Shinjimae… someone… Watari.

"N-no…" Shinjimae bawled. "NOOOOOO!"

Monokuma laughed sadistically, amused beyond relief. He laughed at the Ultimate who was screaming, crying out Watari's name repeatedly and throwing his arms around the dead man's body. It was so funny, so beautiful to see.

"Aaaaannnd ladies and gentlemen, that's how you punish someone!" Monokuma hopped over to his throne, crossing his legs together. "Haha, I'm such a genius!"

Silence, all other than the poor weeps from the animal whisperer.

"What?" Monokuma looked at the Ultimates, noticing their lack of movement. "Hey, get over to your spots! The class trial is going to start!"

"B-but that's…" Masako stumbled to her feet. "S-Shinji…"

"Who cares about that?" Monokuma rolled his eyes. "Move it, you twits! We need to solve a fucking murder!"

"But he's not even participating." Akio glared angrily at the bear. "He's literally not going to function at this rate!"

"He's being punished, so shut up!" The bear scowled. "Just get in your seats before I punish you all as well!"

Silence. No one was unable to say anything to one another, only hearing the cries and pleas for help from the animal whisperer. It was so uncomfortable, so uneasy, so horrible…

Tomoyo shakily released a sigh. She looked over at Masako and the others, then slowly moved.

That first step, while shaky, was needed. It was a slow step forward, and everyone slowly began to move.

Move, all according to Monokuma's plan.

"Now then!" Monokuma threw his arms in the air. "Let's get this class trial started."

* * *

AAAAH SORRY FOR MAKING THIS SUFFERING. Also, big thanks to Abitat Eco for allowing me to be this mean to her character, and haha I hope you all enjoyed what happened in this chapter. Hehe, I wonder if you know what's going to happen? Maybe, maybe not. I'm dumb. Also, Watari is still mocking me in death and I will destroy him, how dare he make fun of me. I will destroy him. Just kidding, I love him, but he's dead.

Anyways, I have nothing else to say really, so I'll catch you all next time!


	36. Chapter 4 - Part 2, Part B

Hello, and I am finally back with another chapter! It's been like, what, over two months? Oh god, that's so long! Aaah, I really am sorry for that. College is really trying to make me dead, huh? Aah, I hope you guys were not waiting for too long! And, really, I hope this chapter makes up for it! I don't really have much to say, so let's head straight into the amazing, fun, thrilling trial!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Oop, welp, I will always be surprised if a main character dies, haha. Oops, yes, mindfucks! Monokuma loves traumatizing the kids, we need to slap him for being mean. Poor Shinji, the poor baby didn't even do anything ): Yes, he's having a gigantic mental breakdown, and he'll be broken forever and ever and ever and ever and- oh well. Tomoyo is a sad babey, you need to make her happy. Akio is a bitch, that's all :) Kyatchi will suffer, yes. He's the only one who's talking sense here, totally. Oop, I see, I see. Haha, Monokuma is just pure evil."

 **TheRoseShadow21:** "Yes, suffering! Isn't that sad ):"

 **Meta King:** "TADAOMI NO."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO OUR BETA READER: Prince PokePersona!**

* * *

The tears and sobs that escaped Shinjimae's lips was heartbreaking. The animal whisperer was unable to stop himself from crying, arms thrown around Watari's dead body and embracing his batted self tightly. He sniffled and choked on his own tears, and Monokuma only sadistically smiled at the group whose faces were pale from the revelation.

"Daddy…" Shinjimae hiccuped, his arms wrapped tightly around Watari's head. He couldn't care less about the blood painted on his clothes. "I-I'm sorry…"

"God." Kyatchi grabbed the bridge of his nose. He knew that Monokuma was more than likely to not listen to him, but he couldn't even hold it in any longer. He threw a fist to the podium. "This isn't even a trial any longer."

Akio flinched at the sudden violence from the man. His face paled as he threw him a worrisome look. "What do you mean?"

"It's not a fair trial." The juggler glared angrily at Monokuma, staring him down intensely. "This isn't fair at all. We have a poor boy crying his heart out, so obviously we're at a disadvantage here. Like, what, you want to help the killer? Or maybe you're just sadistic? Is that it?"

The overseer merely simpered. "I only do what is fair. I punish those who are naughty." He clicked his tongue, tapping his tiny feet on the ground. "And Mr. Akahoshi there is a naughty little boy~"

Shinjimae only hiccuped a whimper. "D-daddy…"

"I think you just have a daddy fetish." Kyatchi smirked wryly, shrugging his shoulders. Smug, he slowly focused his attention back to the remaining Ultimates left. "... Since our victim is literally the one who fucking saves our asses in these types of things, now what? Are we dead?"

"Kyatchi, please." Yume just threw him a wary look. "I… I'm not feeling well."

Akio just furrowed his eyebrows. "Why? You…" He threw her an awkward smile. "Well, this is uncanny of you."

"Shut it." The nihilist glared. "Just shut it."

"Alright guys, let's all calm down for a second, alright?" Tomoyo immediately coughed, speaking louder than normally. Everyone's focus was on her, and she nervously smiled and sweated. "We're all worried and we want nothing more than to figure out who killed Watari, but we need to come together and solve this case together, right?"

"Ah, yeah. Right." Masako nodded her head shakily, cupping her hands together. "S-she's right. Yeah."

"Really now?" Yume's eyes narrowed. "Right after all that went down a few days ago? With-... whatever, ignore me."

Kyatchi just laughed. "Wow, moody child." He clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's all be detectives here and solve the case of a detective, alright?"

Akio's face darkened at that, but it was easily hid with a kind smile. "Of course. I want nothing more than to get this over with."

The juggler merely sneered at the actor. "It's just a chore at this point, huh?"

"I didn't say that." The brunette raised a brow, head tilted to the side. "You must be imagining things. Are you Alice in Wonderland, ditzy and fucking stupid?"

"No. Can we- just… Let's just not argue." Yume frowned, eyes squinted. Her face was paler than before, almost as if she was worried (but Tomoyo wasn't so sure) for the juggler. "Let's just do this trial and figure out who killed Watari."

 _Right… we need to do this. If we don't do this, we'll all die. All of us… excluding the killer… can't let that happen._ Tomoyo shakily breathed, her heart beating at a slightly erratic pace. The sweat that trickled from her forehead made her skin feel sticky and prickly. Disgusting. She gripped tightly on her MonoPad, held back a deep breath, and turned it on.

* * *

 **List of Truth Bullets**

 **Case File #005 -** The victim of this case was the Ultimate Detective, Watari Irino. It was noted that he has died around 8:01 PM inside of the upper library. He has been tortured to no end, it would've been estimated (from the wounds) around an hour long before he died out of blood loss. He had plenty of additional wounds and broken bones, but the most noticeable wound would be the bloody wound behind the head.

 **Blindfold and Gag** \- Bloody and soaked. Used to restain Watari.

 **Rope** \- Slightly bloody and torn. This was used to restrain Watari to the chair.

 **Library Chair** \- A simple chair that Watari was restrained to.

 **Torn Up Papers and Glass -** There were torn up papers and glass around Watari. The torn up papers seemed to be a mixture from his notes and others. The glass seemed to have been made from various shot glasses.

 **Camera** \- On the top shelf. It was angled to point over at Watari.

 **Video Tape** \- The camera had saved a video of Watari during his torture. The murderer's voice is robotic and obviously distorted, especially since the killer hid their face.

 **Flashlight** \- It looks like a normal and big flashlight, however there are no buttons to turn the light on. It was near where the camera was.

 **Bloody Messages** \- There are words that are etched into Watari's skin, particularly on his arms and sides. They are the following: 'mass murderer', 'lonely', 'criminal', and 'messiah'.

 **Bloody Bat** \- The weapon that was used to hit Watari with. It was laid out in the middle of the library. It is bloody.

 **Letter -** Yume confessed that Kyatchi went outside earlier to ask her about murder. She said that he received a letter that Yume was going to die and wanted to talk to her about it, but she ran away out of annoyance. Other than this, there was also information that Yume's therapist was involved with Misaki.

* * *

 _Oh god, where do we even start?_ Tomoyo pursed her lips, eyes scanning through the list of truth bullets. _Watari usually leads the trials, right? … Do I even remember?_ She quickly put her hand to her chest, hearing her heartbeat. Thump, thump. … _Relax, right._

"Who wasn't there at the scene of the crime?" Tomoyo asked, looking sternly at everyone. "I need to know who wasn't there so we can update you on anything you missed."

"N-not me." Masako rubbed her hands together, fidgeting. "So, with that, it's you, me, and Kyatchi at the scene of the crime. I-I don't think Shinji's in a good state right now to even talk, unfortunately."

"Obviously not." Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Monokuma literally just battered him up like he was a fucking baseball."

"Right…" Tomoyo's lips were pursed. "So, going with that, I guess it's Shinji, Yume, and Blaise who didn't investigate Watari's death?"

"That sounds a bit accusatory there, Tomoyo." The screenwriter flinched, her eyes peering over to Akio who smiled calmly at her. He stared her down for a second before shifting his focus to the group, smile still calm as always. "I was busy looking for Shinji, that's why. Other than that, I was with Yume."

"Right-"

"Besides, remember what I said?" Akio chuckled. "Yume and I were trying to investigate Watari's room, but Monokuma forbade it. You can ask him."

"I guess he's right." Monokuma yawned, swirling the glass of wine in his paw. "Rather not have you guys go to me for confirmation or shit, but whatever! Yeah, I don't want Aki and Yume to invade on Watari's privacy. It's rude."

 _At least he's not lying to me…_ Tomoyo frowned. _But what if he is? It's Monokuma._ The screenwriter looked at Akio who only looked at her in exchange. She shuddered. "... Alright. I guess that's right, understandable."

"As long as Yume can vouch for him." Kyatchi threw a look to the nihilist.

Yume only rolled her eyes. "I can vouch, yeah." She crossed her arms, eyes now averted to the side. "I find it more suspicious that Monokuma won't let us get into Watari's room anyways."

Masako gulped. "Y-you do have a point. But, given other cases, we've never really investigated our, er, rooms… so I don't know for sure if Monokuma just wants to hide information from us or he actually cares about privacy."

"He has strange priorities then if that's the case." Kyatchi sneered, shrugging mockingly at the survivalist. "Doesn't really matter though. We know Watari aligned himself with Monokuma anyway. I wouldn't be surprised if Monokuma wanted to withhold information."

Tomoyo bit into her lips. Hesitation was in her face. "Well, about that…"

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: What is wrong about Kyatchi's statement?**

 **A. Watari was never in a deal with Monokuma. He lied.**

 **[B. Watari and Monokuma held off the deal a while ago.]**

 **C. Monokuma would never do something like that.**

 **D. Monokuma burnt everything that may seem hurtful to his reputation already.**

 **Tomoyo:** _I think this is it!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Tomoyo shook her head as she looked at Kyatchi, hands cupping together. "Watari never told us this, but he and Monokuma haven't been working together long after the second trial. He's… not guilty of anything."

"What does that mean?" Yume's eyebrows narrowed, gaze sharp. "Is Watari not helping Monokuma anymore?"

"That can't be the case." Akio threw the screenwriter a smile, though it faded away as he threw on a more worrisome expression. "How do you even know that? Do you have evidence to back it up?"

"It's in Watari's MonoPad." The screenwriter held her breath. She knew her heart was racing quickly. She hated it. She hated how much this was stressing her out. "I don't have his MonoPad with me, but you can ask Monokuma to confirm it."

"Asking me to confirm shit again? Hmm, fine by me." The bear snickered, eyes shining its usual malicious hue. "Well, the cutie was being nice, and that's no good! I can't have somebody who's going soft on me stay as my helper! I had to cut him off before he starts throwing me some stupid ass sob story or something."

"Woooow, sob stories! Horrendous!" Kyatchi threw his hands out, making a mock expression of shock. He chuckled to himself as he crossed his arms now, amused in himself. "So, you just decided to cut off relations with Watari because he was beginning to empathize with us?"

 _It was because of me._ And her heart was aching from that one little tidbit. "I would think that makes sense though. Monokuma wouldn't want someone who was helping him to be nice to the people he was supposed to get to kill one another, right? Watari was perfect for the job before since he had no qualms with messing with people."

"P-poor Watari." Masako held her hands together. "I wonder how he felt when he cut off ties with Monokuma… we've been acting under the impression he's been working with Monokuma the entire time though." She stopped, slowly looking up at everybody. "H-he never told us."

"Exactly!" Akio immediately bobbed his head. "Wouldn't it make sense for Watari to tell us if he's the traitor or not anymore? Him never having told us is suspicious, but then again, Monokuma could just be lying to help you out here, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo's eyes widened, a silent gasp escaping her lips. "D-do you not trust anything I'm saying?" She gulped. "I mean, I know this is a trial, but… but still."

"Of course I don't trust you." Akio was blunt, staring her down. "You were relatively close to Watari."

"What? T-that's because you…" The screenwriter shook her head. Did anyone even know about this? Who knew? Who was a part of this? Her eyes scanned the room, but her gaze fixated onto Shinjimae instead- he was still sobbing, croaking out pleas in a mantra. She bit into her lips, but quickly shook her head and focused back onto Akio. "You wanted me to be with him. I was supposed to watch him and give information back to you about anything he does. It's you who made me close to him."

"Oh, is that so?" Akio frowned. "You seemed like you actually wanted to befriend him though. While we were making sure no one was getting hurt, you were slacking off and letting Watari walk all over you."

"... He's not a bad person." The woman gulped. "I don't see why you're suspecting me because of that! This was your idea! A-am I really the type who would hurt him?"

The actor sneered. "Yes, in fact, you are." He crossed his arms, staring her down. "You should've seen the look on his face when he learned you were faking your act of kindness. He looked so hurt. Honestly… It was priceless."

"T-Tomoyo?" Masako was eyeing the screenwriter with a worrisome expression, lips pursed. The brows on her face were narrowed in sync with her wrinkling nose. "What are you talking about?"

"Surprisingly enough, not everyone's in on the scheme." Kyatchi clapped his hands together, a mocking smile on his lips. "Based on stereotypes, the villains are those who act cynical and dark, am I right? So, by those standards, Blaise and his bitches decided to snuff out Watari and everyone else. With that in mind, everyone was basically against not only me and Watari, but Yume as well. I guess the same can apply for Ayako too, but it's not like I really care now, eh?"

"B-but," Masako was having trouble forming words in her dry lips. "What does that mean? What does it have to do with everything? I… I don't have a clear understanding of everything."

"Basically what Kyatchi's saying." Yume scoffed. She looked to the side, though she herself looked slightly baffled as well. "Blaise and whoever was involved with him were on their own mission to snuff out everyone Kyatchi mentioned. So, given that, everyone was basically emotionally manipulating Watari."

"T-that… what?" Shinjimae suddenly perked his head up to the group, hands gripping tightly (too tightly) around the bars. "Y-you wouldn't do that, r-right? B-Blaise…? I-I like you… y-you're nice… Blaise?"

Akio said nothing at first, only glaring at Kyatchi and Yume. A few seconds passed. He turned, shifted in his spot. He just looked at Shinjimae now for a brief second, then pursed his lips, a soft, gentle (it was most likely fake, he used that voice on Tomoyo so many times before) coo forming with the words, "Shinji, you're just too sweet for this. You were the only genuine person who Watari could trust. It's sad."

"W-Watari has f-friends though!" The way he spoke was pathetic. Almost laughable. "T-Tomoyo liked him! M-Misaki and Kyatchi a-and even H-Hitomu and Keishi a-and-!" He continued to blabber on and on, "W-we all l-liked h-him, right…?"

"Shinji." Yume's face narrowed. She looked exasperated, almost annoyed. "They were lying to Watari the entire time."

"N-no! T-they would n-never lie!" Shinjimae laughed. Painful. Broken. "N-not even Hitomu… K-Keishi wouldn't l-lie! Right, Watari?" He immediately grabbed at the corpse's head and cradled it. "Right? Right?! … Right, W-Watari? Watari… Hic, Watari-!"

 _Keishi wasn't part of it… If I say that…_ Tomoyo bit into her lips. The words were at the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't afford to speak. She knew why- if Keishi wasn't part of it, then why not Hitomu? Shinjimae was already broken, and Tomoyo knew better than to break him further.

"Nice, you broke him more." Kyatchi glared at Akio. "Now what?"

"I was only suspecting Tomoyo for her actions." The actor crossed his arms. "It's not my fault people started questioning what we did."

"If we're pointing fingers based on previous actions," Yume scoffed, "it seems like you could be guilty as well."

"For murdering Watari?" Akio raised a brow. He was displeased, eyes glimmering in disgust. "I would rather not kill him for the sole purpose of this game."

"You hated him with a passion." Kyatchi frowned. "It seems plausible. You and the detective dislike each other greatly… though it makes sense. You're a prick."

Akio mumbled something under his breath, but Tomoyo wouldn't completely decipher it (drown?). A sigh. "Well, I want to make a point straight with you all, okay? Watari's murder was personal. Compared to the other murders, this one was meticulously drawn out. Watari was tortured before death."

Yume just squinted at him, observing his every movement. "You think none of us can do it then?"

"Probably." The actor pursed his lips. "It's either somebody offscreen who did this, or…" His face darkened. "Or we have an actual psychopath here."

"Hah! Not me." Kyatchi laughed amusingly, almost boisterously. "I swear if you're pointing fingers I'll end you."

Akio just threw his hands up mockingly. "I'm not. You're just assuming." A sigh. "It could be any of us here. We never know someone's true personality unless we corner them."

"Like you." The juggler snorted. "What, too soon?"

"Let's deviate away from that." Tomoyo bit into her lower lip, eyes scanning the crowd around her. She felt her fingers tapping against the stand she was on, breath slightly ragged. "Even if Watari's murder looked foreign, I want us to base his murder off the assumption that any of us could've done it."

Yume just rolled her eyes. "It'd be easier to do it that way anyways."

"B-but I still don't get it." Masako rubbed her hands together, shaking. "Why would anyone kill him?"

Kyatchi stretched his arms out, groaning as his muscles loosened at his will. "Because Watari never told us he and Monokuma weren't allies anymore."

"I-is that the only reason though?" The survivalist pursed her lips, eyebrows narrowing. "We never did anything when Watari and Monokuma confirmed they were working together, so why would we care now?"

 _Why, huh?_ Tomoyo cupped her chin, gaze hardening. She wasn't sure, her brain spiraling in circles, over and over again. The answer to that question is something that she wasn't sure of. _But if I was the killer, why would I kill Watari? I would've wanted him dead the moment he revealed to me that he was the traitor… if that's my purpose…_

She wasn't sure, but she was sure as hell ready to discuss.

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Case File #005 | Torn Up Papers and Glass | Camera | Bloody Messages | Letter**

 **Tomoyo:** The question that we're raising is why would the killer kill Watari, right?

 **Masako:** Y-yes. I was wondering that since I _**don't believe he was killed for being the traitor**_. It wouldn't make sense.

 **Yume:** I mean, has Watari ever told anyone he wasn't the traitor?

 **Akio:** … I think _**only Tomoyo**_ knew.

 **Tomoyo:** W-why are you still blaming me?

 **Yume:** I don't think that's right? I don't know, but Tomoyo _**wouldn't have told us**_ about this otherwise.

 **Kyatchi:** I _**could've checked**_ Watari's MonoPad myself anyways.

 **Akio:** Hm, true, but then why would the killer kill Watari when they didn't know he wasn't traitor?

 **Yume:** You're asking the same- ugh, nevermind.

 **Masako:** W-well, Watari's death was _**personal**_ , right? I-I mean, it looks that way, so…

 **Kyatchi:** Hm, the only reason I can see he was killed was because the killer _**hated him**_.

 **Masako:** Yeah… b-but even so, we can't point out the exact reason.

 **Akio:** Hmph. Then we _**have no concrete evidence**_ pointing us to why he was killed.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Camera-**

 **Tomoyo:** You made a mistake!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

The screenwriter shook her head, reaching for her MonoPad and pulling out her list of truth bullets. There, she scrolled to the needed bullet, reading the description to herself. A few seconds rolled by before she looked up at the group. "I also believe that Watari's death was personal and I think the fact that there was a camera in the crime scene proves it."

"The camera?" Masako blinked. Her eyes then widened, expression turning pale. "O-oh! You mean… the video."

"Not only that, but the reason there was a camera itself." The screenwriter folded her arms. "His death was strictly personal for the reason that the culprit wanted to record his death."

"They… recorded him?" Yume's eyebrows narrowed, eyes squinting at Tomoyo. "That's pretty… okay, I'm shocked."

Akio frowned. A hand slowly moved over to his chin, cupping it. There, he was deep in thought. "What happened in the recording? Did you hear what the killer sounded like?" He pointed at his own MonoPad, tapping at the directed truth bullet. "We don't have details."

"Right, the video." Tomoyo pursed her lips, her breath holding tightly in her throat. She took a look at Akio, then looked around the room. Her eyes directed themselves onto Shinjimae, then to Saki. Her stomach churned. "Well… would Shinji be alright hearing it? And how about you, Masako?"

"I…" Masako's face scrunched. Her body began to shake slightly more than before, lips quivering. "I… I think I can handle it. I-if it's for the sake of the trial, then… Yeah, I'll be fine." She forced herself to stand strong, a halfhearted smile on her face.

"I'm just worried for Shinji, I guess." Yume played with her dress. "Will he be fine? He's already…"

Kyatchi groaned. "I got it." He raised a hand up. "Yo, Monobitch."

"Huh? The fuck did you call me?" The bear was glaring down at the juggler, snarling at him. "I will literally have your brains eaten. Fight me."

"Huh? Oh, haha. Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever you say." He shooed the threat away without any trouble, unfazed. "Look, we don't want to traumatize a friend of ours even more than he already is, but since we have a trial and everything matters… Yeah, is it possible you can just play the video shown in the camera in our MonoPads instead? I'll owe you my undivided attention if you do it."

"Tempting argument." Monokuma's frown turned upside down, now amusement written on his face. "Hmm, well, since I care about his well-being as well, I might as well. Let me set it up!"

Kyatchi smirked dryly. "Nice. Smooches from moi."

Tomoyo saw the slight disgust in the bear's face, but said nothing about it as he began typing away on a keyboard (which appeared out of nowhere, did he have it under his seat?) with wires connected to the walls. Clickity clackity clack! Monokuma tapped enthusiastically before he raised a paw up, laughing wildly. "Got it!"

The screenwriter's eyes widened as her MonoPad flashed on, white to be seen. She quickly glanced at everyone, all having similar reactions to her, and she pursed her lips- Monokuma did it. Her stomach began to churn even more, heart beating at a quicker rate. She felt her breathing becoming hitched, head aching as the video began to play, all in sync throughout the entire courtroom.

Watari's voice began to echo throughout the room. Even when Tomoyo tried to lower the volume on her screen, she could see everything that was happening to the detective. She could imagine those sobs and painful groans as he was being tortured.

Or maybe she didn't have to imagine it, the slightest sound of his screams being repeated over and over again stimulated the courtroom, after all. The people who lacked the time to listen to his screams now had time to- rather, they had to look at it. Even when Monokuma was being generous and sweet as can be, Tomoyo could tell his was enjoying his time eyeing the group's reactions to what was happening on the screen. Pure, pure horror.

Masako easily set her MonoPad to mute, her eyes becoming teary as she shook her head and closed her eyes. Her breathing was slightly ragged, slightly uneven. It was obvious she was trying to comfort herself, murmuring underneath her breath as her body trembled.

And Tomoyo observed everyone else's reactions. She could see Kyatchi watching it, an expression of distaste and unease in his face. While she figured the juggler already saw (rather, heard) what was happening on screen, she knew he was watching it for the sole purpose of trying to decipher the blackened's words.

Everyone else in the courtroom (sans Shinjimae, but why would she be so cruel as to make him eye such horror?) reacted similarly to the scene as she initially did- fear. Akio was eyeing the video in utter disgust, face pale as he pursed his lips. Yume was also garnering the same reaction, her eyes wavering as unease filled her body to the brim, moving about in place.

A rather short video, but the tension still lingered even after the video shut off from everyone's screens and died, only the replay button to be seen. It was silent, but it was a harsh silence that ushered in an invisible gale of wind. Cold, cruel, and dark.

"Well…" Kyatchi awkwardly smiled at the group, but it was obviously forced and pained. "There you go."

"Y-yeah." Masako gulped, her hands still held together. She was looking at the group in apprehension. "U-uh… s-so what do you guys think?"

Akio brought a hand to his chin, thinking. A few seconds passed in silence. "Why did the killer feel the need to record it? There was no reason to do that unless they wanted to gain something from it."

"Obviously." Yume scoffed. She then mumbled something inaudible to everyone's ears, though her eyes expressed that of apprehension as well.

"You can't even hear the killer's voice that well," Tomoyo explained, cutting into the discussion. "Their voice is pitched and static. They don't want us to know who it is since they knew they were going to record Watari."

"Then why record it?" Masako asked, gulping. "I-it just seems like a bit too much."

"Right." Tomoyo kept her composure steady, though her eyes wavered. Worry was the only expression littering her face. _Hiding their face and pitching their voice… what can I make of that? Is there something in the video that I'm missing out on? If so… then what?_

* * *

 **WHAT SOUNDS OFF?**

[whirring of the camera, static]

"C'mon, can't you act tough for once?"

"..."

"You were so confident when you were outside. You never screamed when you were shot that one time. You used to be so cool…"

[screaming]

"Do you want to beg? Y'know no one will actually feel sympathy towards you."

[screaming]

"Everyone's watching you. Don't you feel special?"

[sobbing]

" _ **It's alright. Everyone will remember this day as the day fucking Satan finally died. It would've been so perfect if you just died with her…"**_

[panting, sobbing]

"Hmm, fine, I'll let you say something. You do deserve to say something before death, y'know? You are the voice of your own people, after all."

"F-fuck you! You know this will solve nothing-!"

[whirring, flicker]

 **-Selected: "It's alright. Everyone will remember this day as the day fucking Satan finally died. It would've been so perfect if you just died with her…"-**

 **Tomoyo:** This is it!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"Yes… I-I think I know the answer," Tomoyo informed, speaking out loud after a few moments of intense silence and worry. She gulped. "It might sound confusing, but it would make sense."

Yume rolled her eyes. "As long as it's nothing stupid, I think we can afford to listen to you."

The screenwriter flinched slightly at that, but kept her expression steady and confident. "Right." She pointed down to the video on her MonoPad. "I believe that Watari's death was recorded for an audience."

"For an audience?" Akio threw her a frown. "You mean us, right?"

Tomoyo shook her head. "I don't think so." She frowned. "It sounded like the killer was referring to not just us, but to a wider audience. It was as if the killer directed those words to Watari as if he knew he was 'Satan' or something… especially with the comment that he should've died 'with her'."

"W-who even is 'her' anyways?" Masako gulped, her eyes darting back and forth. "D-does Watari know anyone personally? Who would have a grudge against someone here…?"

Kyatchi snorted. "Well, obviously, a lot of us are quite disdainful of each other." He shrugged. "Besides, should've died with her? That means it's someone who died… someone who's a girl, to specify."

"So, out of the people who died…" The survivalist shuddered. "It's Wakana, Kiyoko, Ayako, and Misaki, r-right?"

Yume nodded slowly. "Sounds right."

Kyatchi's smile only turned even darker. He pointed a finger at Akio. "Yo, don't you hate Kiyoko and Ayako? Sounds like something you'd say. Precious little Wakana died because of them, after all." He then laughed. "Unless you forgave them like you're some kind of Messiah or something? I don't know, whatever shit you say, I'm here to listen."

"Obviously I can't deflect the idea that I disliked them," Akio began, calm in his tone. "But I'm not going to stand by and say that you're right. Yes, I didn't like them, but I'm not the type of person who'd want everyone I dislike around me to die." He then glared at the juggler. "If I was, then I wouldn't have only stopped with Kiyoko."

"Uh… H-how about we not argue?" Masako threw the group a nervous smile. "We need to, uh, solve this." She glanced at Tomoyo. "So, what's the point you were trying to make?"

Tomoyo heaved a breath. "Well, what I'm trying to say is that…" She shivered. "Maybe the killer videotaped Watari's death to not show us. By videotaping his death, the killer could've easily revealed their identity. It's too much effort for a murder, even if you ignore the entire torture altogether."

"Right." Kyatchi folded his arms. "So, basically, there's another reason. Like what, the killer wanted to escape and show the video footage to the world? That's a bit of a flimsy motive if you ask me, Tomie."

"T-Tomie- ah, nevermind." She shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe we're not the killer's audience, but someone else is. Not Monokuma since he already knows who the killer is, not whoever is behind this since they're controlling Monokuma, but-"

"Someone else?" The juggler raised a brow. He thought for a few seconds, then widened his eyes. "... Are people watching us?"

"W-watching us?" Masako looked at Kyatchi and shook her head. Her smile was weak. "You can't be serious with us right now, r-right? We're not in some game show or anything…"

"It sounds stupid, I know." Tomoyo held her breath. "But think about it. The killer wouldn't go so far as to dress up, change their voice, and videotape Watari's death… and what the killer says is cryptic enough that it works, right?"

"Their words…" The survivalist easily lost her train of thought, her face turning paler than before. "T-that's…"

"Given the situation, it does seem to make sense." Yume's face scrunched up in disgust. "Monokuma forced us into this situation… this being called a 'killing game'…"

"No, wait a second though." Akio immediately threw a hand up. "But listen to me, alright? People of our status have gone missing everyday. Why would Monokuma and the killer videotape and show Watari's death to the public? If we were in some shitty game show, the general audience would know who we are, and they would call the authorities immediately to save us."

"R-right!" Masako immediately jumped on board. "If we were being recorded and everything to the public, they'd try to save us!"

"But the authorities didn't do shit to the other Ultimates who died or got kidnapped." Kyatchi smirked dryly. "What's to say we're not being recorded for a dark web game show or some shit? The black market exists for a reason. You just need to dig deep."

"I guess so." Yume frowned, eyes shifted to the side. "The underworld is a dark place, but I don't know. I'm not certain."

"Yume has a right to be confused. That still doesn't make any sense. None of what you said made sense." Akio glared harshly at the group of dissenters. "The police would have dug and figured out what was happening. I just don't see how whoever is behind this shit can get away scot-free."

"R-right!" Masako immediately nodded her head. "I-I just… I don't know. This entire idea sounds impossible, Tomoyo…"

No. That was wrong.

Tomoyo frowned, shaking her head. While she understood the other side, she knew she had to refute them. Their lives depended on it, and hers did as well. She heaved a breath, closing her eyes.

She can do this. She can do this…

 _Bang!_ She slammed her fists against the podium, causing it to shake. Everyone's eyes were instantly directed to her, and she stared intensely into their eyes. "Watari didn't die for the sake of appeasing the killer's hatred," she declared, fury burning in her eyes. "Wouldn't it make sense that we're being recorded for an audience or something? The evidence points to that being the case!"

"Woot woot! Sounds like a scrum debate to me!" Monokuma immediately jumped into the discussion, silencing everyone with his obnoxiously loud voice. His face was littered with excitement, the red in his eye glowing a dark, malicious hue. "Spicy, spicy! Red hot spicy!"

Yume couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Oh god, not this again."

"Pfft, how lovely. Another scrum debate." Kyatchi grinned, turning to look at Akio. "Don't scream this time, Mr. Actor."

The actor merely huffed, raising a brow. "I won't. I was just caught off guard last time it happened."

The juggler snorted. "Yeah, right."

Tomoyo held her breath, fists slowly going back to her hips and fingers unflexing. She stared at the group, then pursed her lips, thinking to herself. Thinking, reassuring herself that everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. She will be able to convince them.

"READY, SET, GO!"

Buttons were pressed, and the courtroom, once again, began to shake. Tomoyo immediately held tightly onto her podium, watching as everyone began to raise up from the ground and high into the air, split into their respective side. She gritted her teeth, glancing to her side to find Kyatchi throwing her a wink. She threw him a confident smile in reassurance, then nodded to herself. She had to stay confident.

* * *

 **SCRUM DEBATE**

 **Question:** Is Tomoyo's theory believable?

 **LEFT SIDE "YES":** Tomoyo, Kyatchi

 **RIGHT SIDE "NO":** Masako, Akio, Yume

. | . | . | .

 **Yume:** The idea of us being in a show sounds _**impossible**_ once you really think about it.

 **Tomoyo:** It's not _**impossible**_! Anything is possible once you put your mind to it.

.

 **Akio:** But how can this entire game show idea be _**orchestrated**_ if there's a chance the people behind this will get caught?

 **Kyatchi:** Whether this was _**orchestrated**_ as a game show or whatever, there will always be a chance that the people behind this will get caught! Security is high as ever with missing and dead Ultimates everyday.

.

 **Masako:** B-but still, why _**now**_ for a show? There's nothing that separates us from the other Ultimates…

 **Kyatchi:** You only say ' _ **now**_ ' because you haven't been exposed to the other game shows or whatever shit that probably happened. That's also a possibility, remember?

.

 **Akio:** Then why kill _**Ultimates**_? Why are people obsessed with seeing Ultimates die then?

 **Tomoyo:** We have a reputation to uphold. The title of _**Ultimate**_ isn't just for show.

.

 **Yume:** … I'm still not convinced. There's no _**evidence**_ that points to us being recorded or some weird stuff like that.

 **Kyatchi:** Are you sure about that? I think there's plenty of _**evidence**_ that can rebuttal what you just said.

.

 **Masako:** E-even then, why are you so _**confident**_ in that theory? It's not really… sensible.

 **Tomoyo:** I'm _**confident**_ because I know it's true! You just need to listen to me!

.

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"Just think about it!" The screenwriter gritted her teeth, their podiums slowly raising them back to the ground. "There are plenty of cases out there that go unnoticed or untouched because of how meticulous the killers were! Even people from shows go unnoticed until decades later! Is it that hard to believe that we're in some sort of show?"

The survivalist bit into her lips. "I-I mean… it still sounds so surreal."

Kyatchi shrugged, just aimlessly toying with his bandannas. "I mean, the evidence is there. You guys are just being blind, y'know?"

"Blind?" Akio squinted his eyes at the juggler. "What do you mean by that?"

* * *

 **PRESENT THE EVIDENCE**

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: Bloody Messages-**

 **Kyatchi:** _This is it!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

Kyatchi smirked smugly at the actor and crossed his arms. "Well, if you had _actually_ been there at the crime scene, you would've seen the shit that I've seen." His expression stiffened. "Have you seen Watari's body? His body's been messed up."

"Of course I know at least that." Akio frowned. "Go on."

The juggler only snickered in response. A smug expression was clear on his face. "If you actually investigated, you would've seen it." He chuckled. "The killer was messed up enough to use a knife or whatever to write into Watari's body."

"W-what?" Yume's face paled. "Excuse me, but what?"

Even Akio was taken aback by this, but he quickly recomposed himself and nodded slowly. "What was written on his body then?"

"Well…" Kyatchi scratched the back of his head. "From what it says on the MonoPad: mass murderer, lonely, criminal, and messiah."

Yume frowned. "Those names are kind of specifically suspicious."

"Exactly, as if the killer was making a statement." Kyatchi crossed his arms, smirking. "Wouldn't it make sense that the killer was making a statement to tell an audience?"

Akio furrowed his brows. "I mean, couldn't the killer be trying to tell us that?"

"That's a complete fucking waste of the killer's time, you stupid twit. If they wanted to just play the killing game, they don't need to go this far." He rolled his eyes. "It's already obvious the crime wasn't just because of the motive. That shitty, cryptic ass motive? Yeah, I don't know if that's enough to get the gears winding. However, killing Watari for a personal reason? I can fucking see that, especially if the killer wanted to call out Watari for something we don't know of yet."

"Watari's an idiot." That was all Yume said, her usual cold expression slightly wavering with a touch of sadness. Her eyes were averted to the ground.

Kyatchi sighed. "Let's put two and two together! We'll figure this out together as if we're in some shitty ass whodunnit kid's show- let's figure out the meanings behind each of the names on Watari's body."

"Ugh." Masako couldn't help but hold her hands over her breath. The urge to vomit was close. So, so terribly close. "T-that sounds fine…"

 _That's a good idea. Hm… he really knows how to lead a trial when he tries. I'm not really that shocked about it._ Tomoyo held her breath. "Right. I'm fine with that."

Kyatchi clapped his hands together. "Great! Then let's do this! Get this bread! Yeet!" He dabbed. "... Ew, holy shit, I want to die now."

And the urge to facepalm was higher than ever for the poor screenwriter.

* * *

 **NONSTOP DEBATE**

 **Truth Bullets: Camera | Flashlight | Bloody Messages | Letter**

 **Kyatchi:** The first message is definitely suspicious. More so than the rest.

 **Masako:** T-the _**mass murderer**_ one, right?

 **Yume:** Hm… But Watari _**[hasn't ever killed anyone]**_ , right?

 **Kyatchi:** Pfft, directly or indirectly? If anything, he _**killed my will to live**_.

 **Yume:** … You didn't even want to live _**in the first place**_.

 **Masako:** O-oh geez.

 **Akio:** I mean, it might've just been _**nothing more than a statement.**_ The killer was just running on adrenaline.

 **Yume:** That literally makes no sense.

 **Tomoyo:** Well, maybe Watari was _**involved in something**_ then?

 **Akio:** Like what? I mean, we already know he was _**involved with Monokuma**_.

 **Masako:** Y-yes, as the traitor.

 **Kyatchi:** Hm… welp, I don't know! Maybe the killer really was just trying to say _**random shit!**_

 **Akio:** Kyatchi.

 **-Truth Bullet Selected: "... hasn't ever killed anyone…"-**

 **Masako:** I-I would like to agree with that!

 **BREAK!**

* * *

"W-wait a second!" Masako quickly yelled out. Everyone's attention was suddenly shifted to her, and she blushed and meekly flinched. It didn't take long before she forced herself to regain her composure, clearing her throat and speaking up, "U-um, I think there's a reason why the killer wrote that on Watari. T-the whole mass murderer thing, I mean…"

"Yeah?" Tomoyo threw the survivalist a comforting, but curious look. "What is it?"

The survivalist gulped. "I mean, well, remember what Watari said about everyone being murderers? I think it has to relate to that…"

"Us being murderers?" Akio frowned. "I still refuse to believe that. How can we be murderers? Besides, what's written on Watari was 'mass murderer'. That would mean he killed more than just one person."

"T-that's…" Masako jumped. "Well, but it would make sense though. Relating that to Watari calling us all criminals, I mean…"

"Yeah, makes sense." Kyatchi snickered. "The killer got that idea way before we did, but the killer believed 100% in it and killed Watari because of it."

The actor raised a brow, snorting. "But if we're going off that idea, Kyatchi, weren't you the one who was vouching for that sort of idea? You always did like to tell me that everyone's crazy when it comes to how we act."

"Of course we're crazy! Watari realized that way before I did anyways." He snickered, playing with his hair. "We don't act like normal people. Not because we're Ultimates, but because we act like fucking statues."

"Exactly." Akio glared, standing still. "So if I had to come down to a conclusion, I'd say you're suspicious."

"What, because of that? Just because of that?" He laughed. "Oh god, you must be kidding me. It's because I'm sooooo different, right?"

Yume quickly cleared her throat. "Kyatchi, no."

The juggler went silent for a few seconds, then scoffed and shook his head. He quickly turned away from the group and sighed. "Honestly, I wish I was like Watari right now. Dead."

"K-Kyatchi!" Masako immediately jumped against her stand. "P-please refrain from saying such nonsense!"

"He's probably laughing at us from above, huh? Is God even real? Wow, I don't know." He shrugged, sarcastic as ever. "I don't even know anymore. We're just screwed in the head, honestly."

"You're just trying to talk nonsense." Akio sighed. "Just tell us why you think we're messed up in the head, please."

The juggler turned back to Akio, slowly. "Really? Do you really not know why?" He smirked. "God, it's so obvious why. You're one of the main issues here, y'know?"

Tomoyo quickly stepped forward. "It's because no one was that affected by the deaths of our friends, right? That's what you were telling us before too."

Silence.

Kyatchi raised a brow. "... Yeah." He crossed his arms. "What, did you think I was drunk at that time or something? I really was being genuine when I got mad at you all." He chuckled. "Or did you ignore me that time? Honestly, I wouldn't blame you."

Akio shook his head, denying Kyatchi's words. "I do know you were being genuine, yeah. But is that really what you're trying to argue? Again? We were affected by the deaths of everyone here."

"Really now?" The juggler laughed. "Certainly doesn't seem like it when you saw Kiyoko being executed."

Tomoyo flinched, biting into her lips. "Kiyoko…"

"You didn't care, no one else seemed to care. If anything, Kiyoko was the most emotive even though she was a murderer." Kyatchi chuckled. "Of course I'm guilty of that myself, but I'm… hm, similar to Yume I guess. That's why I like her."

Yume's eyes widened at that, and she quickly shook her head and frowned. "Why do you keep saying that? That won't change my opinion about you."

"I don't expect it too, which is why I like you. Is it like how I like my family? The people back home? Dunno." The juggler smirked, amused. "I don't know what makes me trust you. That's all. Even more so than Watari to an extent."

"That's…" Yume looked at him in utter worry, but simply shook her head and spoke a little louder, "Can we just focus on the trial? I… I literally have no idea who killed Watari and why. Apparently we think we're in a show and that's why the killer killed Watari like that?"

"We have no confirmation of that though." Akio crossed his arms, staring at the group. "I can only believe that it's true if we have concrete evidence of it."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "N-not enough the words on Watari's body is enough for you?"

"Oh, of course not." Akio threw a mocking tone of voice, staring down Tomoyo. "What, do you want me to casually accept everything thrown everything at me? No way, no how."

"Isn't that what we do every trial though?" Kyatchi retorted, rolling his eyes. "Everything we do is based on assumptions, bro."

The actor rolled his eyes in return. "Of course. So, with that logic, I want to talk about something else."

Tomoyo raised a brow. She didn't know why, but a feeling of dread was beginning to wallow up inside her. Her insides were churning, disarrayed. "Yes?"

Purple eyes shone in a mixture of suspicion and utter disgust.

"Why exactly was Watari killed? He obviously knew something, right? So what was it?"

* * *

 **CLASS TRIAL POSTPONED**

 **Survivors: 6/14**

* * *

Okay, and that is the end of this chapter! I really don't have much else to say, but I hope you all can wait while I post the next chapter XD Nonetheless, I'll probably be busy with my third SYOC, oops, and nonetheless, I hope I won't take too long writing out the next chapter!

With that being said, see you in the next chapter (or TPPCI's update, we'll see which one comes out first, oops).


	37. Chapter 4 - Part 2, Part C

Hello, and I am finally back with another chapter! This chapter is kinda short, to be honest, and I was experimenting a bit with this chapter, but ay, we're here, and I'm just in time before New Years strike 2020! My plan was to prepare this chapter for a New Years present, and I'm so happy I was able to get this chapter out in time! Well, even with this whole murder and trial thing going on, I hope it proves to be a good present! Murder or not, still a present, right?! Anyways, ignore me, let's go straight into the story!

 **Prince PokePersona:** "Yes, hello there! Hehe, yes, and it's been a while since I reviewed a review from you, or write a story in general (cough, I mean update). Anyways, yes, everything is coming into full circle and things are either becoming more confusing or more mindfucky. I wonder what's better? Hmmm, don't know, but whatever! Shinji seems to be the favorite for being tortured, huh? It's funny, just kidding, it makes me cry. Anyways, yes, he's such a sweet bean, let's cry for him. Akio for the bitch role! That's fun, don't you love him? We all love him. He's gaslighting Tomoyo and everyone left and right, what a nice boy, huh? Oh well, maybe you should punch him? Maybe you actually should, haha. Yes, say hi to Kyatchi! Your poor boy suffers behind all this madness. He's a great character, I love him. What a redhead hottie. Graphic stuff is the best. Yes, say hi to Tomoyo too! She's trying her best, definitely. Yes, and she's trying to be a leader. Haha, what a cutie. Also, awww thanks! Christmas present, and now a New Years present!"

 **Meta King:** "Hehe, nice theories. Also, oof, poor Yume. Her mun wants her to die, rip. Haha, yes. We all agree with that."

* * *

 **BIG THANKS TO MY BETA READER: Meta King!**

* * *

 **CLASS TRIAL IN SESSION!**

 **ALL RISE!**

* * *

With Akio's words, nonetheless that sharp glare in his purple eyes, the tension in the trial was rising as high as it ever could.

Because, yes, Akio had a point- Watari had been killed for a reason. It wasn't hatred. It wasn't for the motive. It was for something else… but what?

"If Watari died for the motive, then what exactly was the motive about?" Akio glared intensely at the group, speaking confidently and loudly, causing his honeyed tone of voice to resonate throughout the room. "If Watari died because the killer hated him, then you need to admit the killer's stupid. Why kill and risk being caught, executed even?"

"Right." Tomoyo nodded her head. She pursed her lips, breath held. "You're right."

"Exactly. And if the killer killed Watari because we're in a game show, then why? And how did the killer figure that out?" The actor crossed his arms. "What clues were there to show that we're being filmed, live to an audience?"

Kyatchi smugly grinned, shrugging his arms mockingly. "Well, let's think about it." He snickered. "Watari himself? Maybe he told someone?"

"Yeah, right." Akio rolled his eyes. "We all know he didn't trust anybody in the slightest. The only person he relatively trusted was Shinji, but…"

Masako immediately shook her head. "Y-yeah, we know."

Yume raised a brow. "Why would the game show idea relate to Watari's death? What about him is so important?"

Tomoyo cupped her chin, expression hardening. Her green eyes stared at the group intensely, deep in thought, even when she could feel purple eyes staring straight at her. "Was it because he was Monokuma's helper? To an extent, I mean."

"H-he was the one who told us about us being murderers too," the survivalist mused, glancing at the group. "S-so, with that information, he was already a threat."

Yume frowned. "Why would Monokuma even trust him with that information though? Did he want to play a game with Watari?"

Tomoyo breathed. "I went through Watari's messages with Monokuma." The screenwriter gulped. "His last conversation with Monokuma… and before that, it seemed like Monokuma wanted to use him against the mastermind?"

Akio raised a brow. "Mastermind?"

"Y-yeah." She cupped her hands, twiddling with her fingers. "It's like Monokuma wanted to go against the mastermind for some reason? Watari's messages suggested he felt this way as well, and given what I read… it just sounded like Monokuma had something against the person he was working with, or working for."

"So, he held off the deal with Monokuma afterwards?" Kyatchi cocked his head to the side. "Well, Monokuma called it off with Watari since he started to actually care about us."

Yume scoffed. "Makes sense."

"If Monokuma hated the mastermind…" Masako thought to herself, dragging off as she trailed her words. She seemed to lose herself in her process of thought.

Tomoyo tapped her foot along the ground. Her lips were pursed. "What if the mastermind was the one who had Watari killed? They wanted to get rid of Watari since he didn't stop after Monokuma called off the deal."

"W-what?" Masako's eyes widened. "T-Tomoyo, aren't you jumping to conclusions now? How would you know?"

"I… I don't know," the woman admitted, staring at Masako with an awkward smile. Her cheeks were slightly red. "I don't know, but I have to assume. It's a reasonable idea to think Watari was killed because of how active he was, right?"

"It does, yeah." Akio frowned. "It would make sense that the mastermind would want Watari killed. He knew too much."

"What, are we going to just accuse the mastermind?" Yume's voice was slightly more strained. "... That sounds stupid."

Tomoyo flinched. "Why?"

The nihilist scoffed. "Isn't it obvious? The mastermind wouldn't be so stupid." She squinted at the screenwriter. "You said it yourself- the killer risked everything to hurt Watari, so why would the mastermind be the one doing this?"

The shorter woman stared at the nihilist for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. "... Then what are you implying?"

"Nothing really." She averted her gaze. "The mastermind probably got someone to do their dirty work, right? It makes more sense, anyway."

Masako gasped. "T-that makes sense!" That realization had immediately struck her. "I-if Watari was working under Monokuma, then got cut off and was trying to expose what was happening… i-it makes so much sense, right?"

"Yeah, it does." Akio frowned. "Watari is a detective for a reason, and if he already got information from Monokuma, even if a bit, he would obviously pursue it. It sounds just like something he would do."

The bars on the cage rattled. Everyone's attention suddenly shifted back to Shinjimae, though their pity was immediately turned on its head as the animal whisperer harshly glared at them. "S-so who was it?!" He screamed. "W-who killed Watari?!"

"Shinji? Uh." The actor blinked, shocked. "We're still trying to figure that-"

"I-I hate all of you!" Shinjimae rattled chaotically against the cages, face filled with blood and dried up tears. "Y-you all turned against him! H-he was trying to help you guys, and you did- what?- NOTHING! Even the people who weren't with your stupid cultlike group didn't tell Watari anything! S-so, screw it! I'll do it myself! Who...!? Who fucking Did it?!"

"H-hey now!" Masako quickly threw her hands up in the air, her fight or flight responses kicking in. "S-Shinji, calm down!"

"Don't tell me to calm down!" The animal whisperer hissed, then barked something at Saki. The labrador began to growl madly, barking at Masako who immediately squeaked in shock. "I-I want to know who killed Watari! A-and the mastermind! I'll… I'll end them! End them, end them, end them!"

"Shinji, please." Tomoyo gulped, unsure of what to do. "Y-you're acting irrational right now. Please calm down."

"Oh, says the one who betrayed him! H-he told me himself! You betrayed him!" He made a short laugh, shaking his frizzled head. "What? D-do you want me to stay friends with you?! Screw that! A-anyone I even remotely like dies, anyway! … O-or maybe I should hang out with you! Y-you can die if you're by my side! Yeah! Let's do that! A-alright? Alright!?"

The screenwriter was taken aback, words fading from her head. She had no idea what to say, at a loss. Her entire face went pale, body frozen.

Akio frowned. "Shinji, Watari wouldn't-"

"Wouldn't what?" The animal whisperer snarled. "H-he's already dead. You don't even care about him… e-even if I try to assure myself over and over again, I know you don't care! B-but that's fine! Everything's fine! J-just figure out who killed Watari already! I-I want to see them dead!"

Kyatchi clapped his hands together, loudly. It echoed throughout the room. He closed his eyes. "Right, you just want to see them burn, right? Make them suffer the same pain cute little Watari suffered?"

Shinjimae's lips curled into a smile. "Y-yeah! They should suffer!"

"Great, then that's what we'll do." He smiled calmly, opening his eyes and looking at the animal whisperer kindly. "So, please wait for it, alright?"

The animal whisperer looked at the juggler for a few seconds, then nodded and giggled to himself- empty giggles. "O-okay! I can't wait to see it!"

"... Right." Yume just worriedly threw a look at Shinjimae who was now giggling in his cage, then glanced at Kyatchi. She narrowed her gaze, then shook her head. "Kyatchi, I'm not sure this is a good idea."

"It's better than nothing." He sighed, scratching his head. "I'm not a therapist and we're kinda stuck in a trial, so like… I don't know."

"I mean…" Akio held his breath. "Right. Can't blame you."

Masako heaved a deep breath, unsure of what to do. Her anxiety was off the roof, eyes darting back and forth. "S-so… we think the mastermind wanted Watari to die, right?"

"But does it really relate back to the show idea?" Yume asked, now calmer in her voice. "I don't see how."

Tomoyo shook her head. "It does."

* * *

 **THINKING TIME**

 **Question: Why would Watari's death be linked to the mastermind-show idea?**

 **A. Because it creates a fun narrative.**

 **B. Because the mastermind hated Watari.**

 **C. There's no reason.**

 **[D. It is a way to create tension and a way to get rid of Watari.]**

 **Tomoyo:** _Here is your answer!_

 **BREAK!**

* * *

She cleared her throat. "The mastermind wanted to get rid of Watari because he's a threat. And, since Watari was an enemy against the mastermind, for a show, this is a great narrative to raise the views."

Masako gulped. "W-what? I… That would make sense." She frowned, slowly putting a hand to her chin. "That can definitely attract people to this… show, I suppose."

Akio crossed his arms, staring at the group. He bit into his lips. "So, since Watari was a threat, the mastermind most likely had someone to manipulate into killing him?"

"Hm." Yume raised a brow. "I guess Watari was the antagonist type of character then. Aren't those types of people usually one of the fan favorites?"

"But who would kill him?" Kyatchi frowned. "Who would the mastermind manipulate into killing Watari?"

The actor sighed. "It could be anyone, even…" He glanced over to Shinjimae who threw the group a questionable smile. "... even him."

"I-it can't be him." Masako shook her head, unable to believe in the idea. "He already looks broken… B-besides, he wasn't involved in what, er, you and the others were doing, right?"

"Mhm." Akio frowned. "I think Hitomu would've gotten mad if Shinji had gotten involved. He always told me he didn't want Shinji to get involved in that anyways, said it was dangerous and risky."

 _If only Hitomu didn't join his side… I wonder what would've happened. Maybe he could've convinced Blaise… I don't know._ Tomoyo pursed her lips. Then again, she was at fault too- maybe if she had denied Akio's help and told people, she could've helped and not have gotten herself into this mess. Maybe, she didn't know.

Kyatchi snickered dryly, shrugging. "Well, anyone of us could be the killer, if not the mastermind, so… who knows?"

Yume scoffed. "I mean, we don't even know who the killer is, so yeah."

Akio sighed, scratching the back of his head in dismay. "We all know the person who hated Watari the most was me, right?" He looked at everyone who nodded their heads. It was an obvious answer, the actor releasing another sigh in response. "Right. So, let's get this out of the open: how exactly did the mastermind manipulate the killer into killing Watari? Especially that badly?" Silence. He blinked, then motioned his hands about. "The torture and everything."

"... Right." Tomoyo bit into her lips. "I… I'm not sure."

"Y-yeah!" Masako immediately hopped on board. "E-even if we are actually killers from what Watari said o-or… I don't know, from a show or something, I-I still think we'd still be disgusted over the idea of torturing people!"

Kyatchi raised a brow. "Well, how about we try to ignore that then?" He smirked, throwing his arms out. "Like how you wouldn't expect a shy little girl like you to be a survivalist or a juggler like me to be so suicidal, let's ignore our own beliefs."

"I… I have to agree with Kyatchi here," Yume added in, looking at the group in her sight. "Especially with the idea that we could all be murderers, I mean… anything is possible, right?"

"Right." Tomoyo bit into her lips, breath still held. "But given what we have so far, nothing links anything to who the killer is…"

 _Shit._ She could feel her heart beating, ringing closely in her head. She was looking through the list of truth bullets, yet nothing screamed to her directly to the killer. Even then, what if the truth bullets she had gotten were red herrings? Fake?

 _Think, Tomoyo, think! What would Watari do in this situation?_

She already knew what would happen. If Watari hadn't died and someone else did, he'd be able to manipulate the situation into his will and expose the killer without a second thought. Confident in his own skills as a detective, he definitely had an advantage, and he knew how to use it.

" _But what about you, Moe? Are you going to waste your life and let people pity you for how weak you are?"_

She bit into her lips. She glanced back down at the truth bullets, holding her breath. Of course, she can always exploit that one particular truth bullet, but something was screaming in her head that it wouldn't lead to anything pretty.

 _But that's all we have left. If not this, then what else could remotely expose who the killer is?_

Hesitation continued to dampen her mood. She looked around the room for a second, scanning with her emerald green eyes. Her lips were pursed, nose wrinkled slightly. It was now or never.

"Well, how about we talk about Kyatchi and Yume for a second?" Tomoyo asked, eyes peering over the nihilist. "You said Kyatchi wanted to talk to you, right? He got a letter."

Yume's eyes widened at that, though she quickly regained her composure to frown. "Yeah, why are you asking? Do you suspect him or something?"

"Not exactly." The screenwriter balled her fists. "... Let's talk about that. It could lead us somewhere."

The juggler glanced at Tomoyo for a few seconds, then nodded slowly. "Hm, sure. You want to know what happened more specifically, right?"

"Yeah."

Kyatchi smirked. "Gotcha." He tugged at his bandannas a few more times before fixating his gaze to the audience around him, staring at him. "Well, like you all probably know, I got a letter telling me that Yume was going to die- with the whole Yume's therapist was connected with Misaki and that stupid black market shit, whatever. The letter was in much more detail than that, but Yume ran away before I could tell her it… er, and I don't have the letter with me, if you're all wondering."

Akio furrowed his brows. "What happened to the letter then?"

Red locks of hair was played with. "Given that I left it in my room, someone must've taken it without me realizing it. I kinda, er, forget to lock the door sometimes."

Masako gasped. "K-Kyatchi! You need to be more careful."

"Even not, I might've left with my dirty clothes. I need to do my laundry, after all." He shrugged. "Don't know."

"Wait a second though." The actor frowned, raising a brow. "Why would the letter talk about Yume though?"

"Because I'm basically the only one who talks to her?" He snickered. "Whoever wrote me the letter really wanted to fuck with me. Yume isn't that hard to kill, honestly."

Yume snorted. "Because I look weak and uncaring about death?" She stayed silent for a few seconds. "You have a point."

The actor thought for a few seconds, thinking to himself. He stared intensely at Kyatchi for a few seconds, then raised a hand up to a shrug. "Well, given the letter's not with you for some strange reason, can you give us a reason why you're not the killer?"

"What?" Kyatchi frowned. "Are you kidding me?"

Akio shrugged, cocking his head to the side. "For all we know, you could be telling us this in order to make us believe you were framed."

"Then what if I actually was framed?" Kyatchi scoffed. "It could go either way, pretty boy."

Masako held her breath, exchanging glances from Akio to Kyatchi. She gulped, hands cupped and fingers rubbing against one another. "W-well, if you want another input on this, I do certainly find it strange that the person who wrote the letter would know about Yume's therapist. I-it seemed like Yume didn't even know her therapist was involved with Misaki?"

Yume nodded slowly. "Yeah, that's right."

The survivalist threw her an awkward smile. "... That's… scary. W-what a coincidence. Misaki told me that my therapist was friends with her."

The nihilist frowned. "Wait, what?"

Masako nervously laughed. "Y-yeah. I… I have a therapist to help me cope with my anxieties…" She averted her gaze. "S-she told me she's actually close to her, somewhat. Something about… the black market."

Yume squinted. "So, what? Did you write the letter?"

"N-no!" She quickly shook her head, pale. "I-I would've told you otherwise, after all…"

"She has a point, Yume." Kyatchi yawned, stretching his arms out. Eyes stared over at the group. "So what? I'm the suspect again or something?"

"I-I mean…" Masko bit into her lips. "I honestly wouldn't know why the person who wrote the letter would mention Yume's therapist… o-or even know about it. A-all I knew was Misaki was close to my therapist, and know she seems to be connected to Yume's."

"Well, this is getting confusing, huh?" Akio sighed, shaking his head. "But, yeah, you're the suspect again, Kyatchi. Do you even have any idea why Yume's the one who's supposed to be killed?"

Kyatchi scoffed, shaking his head. "Nope. All I got was that Yume was going to die and the whole thing with Misaki. I assumed she was targeted because she was weak and wouldn't fight back if she were attacked too badly."

"Then why even tell Kyatchi that Yume's the victim?" Tomoyo asked, looking at the group. "That makes no sense."

The actor rolled his eyes. "I mean, unless Kyatchi wanted to frame himself and get himself off the radar."

Kyatchi rolled his head back. "Oh, so you guys do suspect me again. Just great."

Akio threw a harsh look at the juggler, arms crossed. "Then do you have proof of somebody else being the killer? Evidence only points to you."

"I mean, obviously I don't have anything else that points me to another suspect," the juggler admitted, pursing his lips. "But are we seriously going to blame me for something that stupid? It could just be some stupid red herring or shit."

Yume nodded her head slowly. "Right." Her breath was held, eyebrows furrowed. "Kyatchi can't be the killer."

"W-we can't let bias get in the way of our judgment," Masako reminded, looking at Yume with the shake of the head. "Right now, it just seems like Kyatchi's the more likely suspect here."

"Then what about you?" Yume glared at Masako. "How do we know you're not lying about knowing my therapist's relationship to Misaki?"

"Y-you don't need to believe me, but my therapist nor Misaki ever told me anything about you." The survivalist looked at Yume, gulping. "If they did, I-I would've told you, like I said."

Akio sighed. "But still, I can see Kyatchi framing himself with the letter in order to make us think he isn't the killer. Fake red herrings are a thing, after all."

Kyatchi rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and what if it's actually a red herring? We'll all die if you vote for me."

"There's nothing else that points to anybody else being a suspect though," the actor continued, countering Kyatchi's words. "Unless someone else can figure out who could be connected to Watari's murder and show physical proof, you're the culprit I'll vouch for."

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" Kyatchi's face bittered within seconds. "Of course I don't know who else could've done it because of how fucking smart the killer is, making evidence limited and all that shit. Having one obvious red herring out of the cryptic shit in the truth bullets doesn't automatically label me as the killer."

"Then figure it out yourself." Akio glared angrily. "Who else could've done it, and how?"

Kyatchi was baffled beyond repair. "H-how would I know? We don't even know who the mastermind is and how they could've manipulated the killer into killing Watari like that!"

The actor raised a brow. "Then what do you propose we do?"

"I don't fucking know!" He growled. "There's no way to figure out who killed Watari, alright?! We don't have enough evidence to point to a specific person! Everything we did was nothing more than guesswork, even if it was educated to a fucking extent! We don't even know what the motive's purpose really is either!"

"Oh, that?" Monokuma suddenly spoke out loud. His attention was on Kyatchi, a smirk on his face as he sipped into his vodka. "Don't worry. I'll show y'all later-" He yawned. "-well, if you make me happy enough with whoever you vote for… actually, about that, can you all just vote already? You guys seem like you're at a stalemate here anyways, right?"

"W-what?" Masako's eyes widened. "You want us to vote now?"

The bear shrugged, taking another swig from the bottle. "Yeah? You guys really look like you're stuck, so… I think I can safely say you're all out of options here."

"That's… what?" Kyatchi sneered at the bear. "Do you want us to vote wrong and get executed?"

Monokuma frowned, looking down at the juggler. Another swig from the bottle. "You guys don't seem to have an idea on what's happening or how Watari died anyways, so…"

Tomoyo looked up at the bear, looking at his expression, watching him closely. She felt her stomach tying itself into knots, churning and rolling about. Why? Why was she feeling so anxious? It wasn't the voting mechanism that worried her, rather…

What was it?

Something was off. Something was definitely off, but what?

Masako glanced over at the group, anxious. "A-are we supposed to vote now…?"

"I… I guess?" Akio shook his head. "But that's not right. Monokuma's telling us to vote because we have no idea on what to do, so…"

"That means he wants us to die." Yume scoffed. "We're boring him."

"N-no! That can't be it!" The survivalist's face had immediately paled, shaking. "I-if we're on a show or something…"

 _Then Monokuma has a plan._ Tomoyo's face also paled at this realization. _But what's the plan? What is he planning?_

Fear. Anxiety. Intimidation.

"What are you planning to do?" Akio asked, looking at Monokuma. "We still haven't found the killer yet. For certain-"

"Who cares about the reason? If we're on a show or whatever you kids believe, bah." He rolled his eyes, slumping into his seat. "Just vote who you think it is. You're in for a surprise anyways, right? Maybe."

Those words scared Tomoyo even more. He was definitely planning something, but was that something predictable to her? Was she able to decipher the bear's words and understand the meaning behind it? She didn't know, her mind immediately coming to a blank as the voting ballot appeared in front of her… in front of everyone.

She didn't want to vote. She didn't want to fucking vote.

Not yet. This wasn't the right time.

Yet Monokuma was looking at everyone, bored out of his mind and expecting them to vote. The look in his eyes told Tomoyo everything, expression judgmental despite its outwardly emotions of boredom and annoyance.

 _Vote for the killer… but we don't even know who the killer is! What is Monokuma thinking, making us vote so early? We haven't gone through everything, even if the only thing that points us to the murderer is that letter…_

But even then, if they were to continue discussing with their own will, will they be able to find the killer? They were Ultimates, not detectives. Even if they were able to solve the past murders, it was all through the help of Watari. He was the one who exposed Kiyoko, the one who helped lead the second trial, and the one who pursued claiming Misaki as the culprit despite everyone's unwillingness. Tomoyo never realized how important he was to everyone's lives till now, and now that he was dead… it was too late. It was like he was mocking them, laughing from his grave for how incompetent they were.

Her eyes scanned back at the voting ballot. The crossed out icons of her peers made her shiver, quiver in its presence. She had to vote, time running out. She held her breath, taking in a few deep breaths.

In, out. In, out. In…

Inwardly, she nodded to herself. The screenwriter glanced over her options, eyeing her remaining peers left, even herself for that matter. She frowned as she considered her options, then bit into her lip, holding her breath.

 _I just need to vote for who seems like the killer, right?_ She hesitated, finger hovering over her peer's icon. _Shit._

Tomoyo gulped. She had no choice. Silently wishing for the best, she immediately clicked into the icon without a second thought.

Within seconds or so, everyone else had followed. While there was clear hesitation in their eyes they had no choice. No one had a choice, Monokuma nodding his head once everyone's votes were in.

"Oooh, I see, I see. As expected! … Ahem. Alright, let's see who you all voted for then." He chuckled to himself, snapping his paws together.

Few seconds passed by without a struggle as the monitor showed up around the entire courtroom, showing the voting ballot. Tomoyo gulped and forced herself to harden, composure still as she leered at the screen. The votes were being tallied, and it was obvious who everyone voted for (even when the screenwriter refused to believe it).

* * *

 **VOTING RESULTS**

 **Kyatchi Sesshoku** \- 6 Votes

 **Answer:** Kyatchi Sesshoku

 **RIGHT!**

* * *

… _What?_ Her face paled. _That answer… it was right?_

"Wait, what?" Masako was completely taken aback, eyes widening and face pale. "S-so… was the killer actually Kyatchi?"

"Oh no, that must be a mistake." Kyatchi immediately laughed, shaking his head. He was wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "I know I voted for myself since that's just me being classic ol me, and I know everyone else voted for me because I seem like the most likely person here to be the culprit, but Monokuma, what the fuck?"

"Oh, but that's the right answer." Monokuma glanced down at Kyatchi, crossing his arms. "Are you in denial?"

The juggler stared at the bear for a few seconds, then frowned. "Is this your plan?"

"Plan?" He tilted his head to the side. Innocent, naive. "Whatever do you mean?"

Kyatchi looked at Monokuma for a few seconds, then smirked. He pulled back his locks of red hair and sighed, shaking his head. "You know what? That's fine, whatever. It's whatever, honestly. Whatever."

Yume immediately frowned, eyeing the juggler. Her eyebrows were furrowed, nose wrinkled. She seemed to be on edge, voice strained. "Kyatchi, excuse me? What are you talking about?"

"Wait, so he's the killer then?" Akio raised a brow. "What? So you're the killer then…"

"... K-Kyatchi's the killer? K-Kyatchi…" Looking behind, Shinjimae was staring at Kyatchi, pale and unnerving. A few seconds passed. One, two, and he immediately grabbed at the bars and began rattling angrily at it, screaming hysterically. "S-so it was you? You?! Y-you're the killer?! How could you? H-how could you?!"

Kyatchi's eyes widened at the rattling, eyes staring back at Shinjimae. He threw him an uneasy look for a few seconds, then bit into his lips. "... So what if I was?"

"W-what do you mean by that?!" Shinjimae growled. "I-I hate you! You better explain yourself r-right now!"

"S-Shinji, please calm down!" Masako immediately tried to speak up, breathing quickly. "You're being irrational right now!"

"I am _not_ being irrational!" He hissed, glaring angrily. The bars continued to rattle wildly. "Y-you guys are the ones being irrational! J-just rid of him already! H… H-he's the one who hurt Watari!"

Tomoyo held her breath. She was unsure of what to do, what to even say. Her eyes gazed over to Kyatchi, his expression unknown to her. She glanced over at Akio, then to Yume. Everyone seemed hesitant to speak, and Tomoyo damned herself for being the same.

And it was even worse when Monokuma was watching over the group, his lazy expression slowly turning malicious as his eyes went over to Shinjimae. He suddenly had a leash in hand, it connecting to Saki who had whimpered upon a soft tug. "Shinjimae, you want to see Kyatchi die, hm?"

Shinjimae blinked. He glanced worriedly at Saki for a few seconds, noticing her distress, but nodded his head and focused his attention to the bear. "Y-yeah! H-he killed Watari!"

"Great." He snickered, then snapping his paws. Within an instant, a gun appeared, falling from the air and to his paw. He gripped onto it tightly, chuckling. A sinister smile was on his face. "You want him dead, huh?"

Shinjimae nodded. "Y-yeah!"

Within seconds, Tomoyo already had a bad feeling about everything, especially when the cage was unlocked. Shinjimae immediately crawled out of his cage, though he was continuing to drag Watari's dead body with him. The smell of death lingered in the air, the animal whisperer crawling over to Saki and immediately wrapping an arm around her with his bloody face and clothes.

Monokuma chuckled, watching Shinjimae for a few seconds. He then tossed the gun inches away from the animal whisperer. A smirk was apparent on his face. "Then let's get right into it! Why don't you do the honors and take the gun?"

"The gun? The hell?" Akio frowned as he glanced at the bear. His eyebrows immediately furrowed and he turned to the animal whisperer. "Shinji, don't listen to him."

But the animal whisperer didn't listen to him, immediately taking the gun and eyeing it in his hands. He made a soft whimper at the weight of the gun. "... H-heavy."

"I know right? Not something you would expect would be heavy, huh? Especially when movies portray them as if they're easy to wield!" He chuckled, then glancing at everyone. "You guys don't mind if your eardrums get blown out, right?"

"Uh, I do mind." Yume glared angrily at the bear. "Are you planning to have him do your dirty work? What's wrong with you?"

Monokuma raised a nonexistent brow at the woman, in the meantime having thrown the headphones at Shinjimae to wear, block out the inevitable gunshots. "It's not against the rules for this to happen. If someone is guilty and is going to get executed, creativity isn't banned here. I waste plenty of money with this work, y'know!"

"With what? Standing around and doing nothing, making us kill?" Kyatchi snorted, rolling his eyes. It was as if he was unaware of the danger lurking around him. Rather, he chose to ignore it. "Yeah, right."

Shinjimae just continued to observe the gun in his hands, scanning it with his doe eyes. He fiddled with it as he shakily adjusted the headphones around him, blinking as his ears were now blocked off.

Masako gulped and looked at the bear. The gun in Shinjimae's hands was scary, just downright intimidating. "A-are you joking with me? You cannot be serious with me right now."

"I am being serious." The overseer rolled his eyes. "That's why there's a gun there anyways. Besides!" He pointed over to the juggler. "You wouldn't run away, right? It's better to be shot than to die through all those gruuuuuesome executions, right?"

Kyatchi glanced at the bear for a few seconds. There was a silent anger in his eyes, but he said nothing and simply sneered. "Even if I did try to run or some shit, you'd lock me down like I'm some fucking animal."

"I-I am so confused right now…" Masako's eyes were watering, a mixture of utter confusion and worry in her eyes. "W-why does Shinji even have to kill him? Just because you don't want to waste money? … It doesn't seem like you're running out. I-I mean, you never told us anything and this place looks nice, so…"

"Just because it looks nice doesn't mean I'm not one million yen in debt." He laughed, cackling and throwing his head back. "Woo! Golly!"

"That's what you deserve," Yume snarled, rolling her eyes. Her eyes then shifted over to Kyatchi, composure stiff. "Are you seriously going to let this happen?"

Kyatchi raised a brow, snickering. "Let what happen? Me dying?"

"No shit." Yume continued to stare him down, eyes intense for once. "I thought you…" She stopped herself. "Just… Isn't this unfair?"

"Life is always unfair." He laughed, rolling his head back. "Besides, I thought you didn't care about me? What's with the sudden change?"

"I… Shut it." Yume growled, glaring at him even more. "What does that have to do with anything, Kyatchi?"

Kyatchi chuckled. "Nothing, really. I just find it cute that you look so concerned. Nothing bad is going to happen, promise!"

"Y-you're stupid." The nihilist immediately shook her head. "You are utterly stupid. Why would you say that? You're going to die, Kyatchi, don't you understand? Shinji's going to shoot you, and you're not worried at all about it? The hell is wrong with you?"

Kyatchi looked at the woman for a few seconds, now silent. He was speechless now, saying nothing more than a small huff.

Yume gritted her teeth. "Aren't you concerned that Shinji would get traumatized over this? He's not in the right state of mind right now, Kyatchi-"

"Hey, shut up, it's Shinji's choice to shoot, not Kyatchi's." Monokuma rolled his eyes. "If it wasn't Shinji who was willing to do it, then you could do it. Or maybe Tomoyo or Masako? How about you, Aki?"

"That's- fuck it." Akio quickly moved over to Shinjimae's side, putting his hands up slowly as the animal whisperer immediately flinched. "Hey, Shinji, can you hear me?"

Yet it was obvious he couldn't, his eyes blinking at the actor and head ever-so-slightly tilting to the side. The gun was pointed straight at the actor though, fear apparent in doe eyes.

The bear chuckled. "You know Kyatchi will have to die no matter what anyways, right? It's inevitable, Aki."

"Fuck off." Akio threw the animal whisperer a soft smile, genuine and kind in his lips. "Well, even if you do hear me or not, I'm going to need to restrain you. If anything, I'll…" He sighed. "I'll pull the trigger."

Kyatchi snorted. "Of course you'd want to be the one to kill me. It's because I didn't get a one night stand with you, huh?"

"W-what the- Ahem." Akio quickly hid the blush on his face, coughing. He then glanced at Shinjimae and made a soft murmur to himself, then glanced over at Saki and awkwardly smiled. "Er, can you motion to Shinji to take off the headphones? I want to talk to him, please."

Saki only made a soft whine in response.

The actor held his breath and pleaded, "Please, I know you don't want Shinji to be a killer. Just tell him to take off the headphones. I'll be Kyatchi's executioner."

But before Saki could respond and say anything, the lights flickered. Darkness enveloped the room, surrounding the entire area. Nobody could see, gasps and confused noises escaping their breaths.

Click.

And.

Bang!

Before Tomoyo had time to process anything, the sound of the trigger being clicked the gunshot piercing her ears made her heart shatter into pieces. The sound of blood spurting out the entire room, however, was a different story- an entirely different wave of emotions riding all over her tiny body.

A flash. A sudden bright light flashed over the group, and a quiet scream escaped Tomoyo's lips as she was suddenly thrown into her own memories.

* * *

Repressed memories? No, memories she had forgotten.

" _Kiyoko, I don't understand you right now! You're talking so much bullshit right now!" Watari cried out, glaring angrily at the recreation worker who looked down on him. The detective breathed heavily, the only thing separating him from her being Hitomu who was in-between the duo._

" _Let's all calm down, alright?" Hitomu began, giving warm reassurances to the duo. It seemed like the cat keeper was throwing the people inside the room for help, but Tomoyo wasn't exactly able to tell. He glanced at Watari with a comforting smile. "I know you're mad at her for knocking someone out in public, but you have to understand that she did it out of pure intention. The person she punched was trying to grope Wakana, remember? Akio would've done the same."_

" _Yeah, really? Tomoyo and the others wouldn't have done that." Watari scoffed. "They're actually reasonable, even someone like Decebel wouldn't do that!"_

 _Viorel immediately came out in the open, snarking in a mockingly calm tone, "I know you're saying that as a backhanded compliment, Mr. Leader Sir."_

" _Then what? You would've done nothing?" Kiyoko glared down at Watari. "People like them deserve nothing but death!"_

" _I know they deserve nothing but death," the raven began, scoffing, "but it's risky to just act up in public! Everyone already knows our faces and you could've easily gotten yourself and Wakana caught!"_

" _Hey now~" Kyatchi's voice immediately rang to the open, catching everyone's attention. The juggler was resting on a sofa, legs crossed and arms folded. "Isn't it bad if our leaders are dragging out the argument here?"_

 _Kiyoko's face immediately scrunched up to simple annoyance, shaking her head. "You don't even see us as leaders. You always call Watari a midget and me a clown."_

" _No, I literally called Watari your bitch over-"_

" _I am not Kiyoko's bitch!"_

 _Kyatchi only laughed in response, and somehow the mood was lighter than before. Kiyoko would only smirk at Watari who blushed madly in response, and Tomoyo would found herself relieved over the resolution of the situation._

 _All thanks to Kyatchi._

* * *

Tomoyo dreaded the moment the lights would flicker back on. The blood that she could hear, almost smell in the air was suffocating, ringing. It was spurting out from his skull, blasting throughout the ground and staining the walls. Blood… Red, red blood.

He's dead. He's definitely dead. He's definitely fucking dead and everybody in the room knew it. Horrific. Just utterly horrific.

The lights… they flickered back on.

They flickered back on, and Tomoyo immediately found herself staring at the wall. With the emotions of sadness, fear, and anticipation curling into one, it took an entire second, a mere second, for Tomoyo to process the splatter of red on the wall.

"Ah- AAAAAAAAAAH!"

The screams from everyone around her, the cries and yells from the people she knew, it made her fall deeper and deeper into the depths of despair. To see the dead body of the juggler right below her, to see those eyes become lifeless, it was heartbreaking. Scary. Tragic.

There were so many things that were riding inside of her mind that she couldn't even contain herself, shaking her head.

Was this reality? Was she even in reality? Where was she?

"K-Kya…" Yume was unable to move from her seat, her face entirely pale. That look of utter shock and horror was too clear on her face. "That's…"

"M-Monokuma, you bastard!" Masako was completely caught off the rails herself, shaking her head. Tears were streaming down her eyes. "Y-you shot Kyatchi!"

And she was right. Monokuma had the gun in his paws, steam blowing off of the handle. He smirked down at the group as he blew into the gun, the steam disappearing from view. "Yeah, so? Aki and Shinji were taking too much time~"

Akio was devastated, shaking. "W-what? Why? It wouldn't even take long! I was about to ask Saki to-"

"You're slow! Slow, slow, slow, slow!" Monokuma waved the gun about, shooting bullets at the ceiling. Everyone gasped and screeched, flinching. "I don't care if you're going to take a minute! It'd feel like hours, and besides~ Kyatchi was going to die no matter if you persuaded Shinjimae or not. Isn't it ironic anyways? No time to wish for goodbyes and that shit."

"Stop rubbing it in." Tomoyo found herself on the verge of crying, her fists clenched and shaking. She knew how hot her face was, red with anger. "You shouldn't have done that…"

"I… huh?" Shinjimae found himself utterly baffled, dazed. He had the headphones in his hands now, fingers curled around it rather weakly. "W-what… what just happened? I… i-is Kyatchi…?"

"Kyatchi is dead," Monokuma said, matter-of-factly. A look of disinterest was on his face. "You were supposed to kill him, but you took too long, Shinji."

"I… I did…" Shinjimae's eyes slowly moved down, straight towards the bloody pool that surrounded the juggler. Despite Saki's whines and begs of protest, the animal whisperer looked at the dead body. Silence. Tears began to fall from his already red eyes, unable to contain himself any longer as his voice just fell to a choked sob. "N-no, I…"

"You're the one who wanted him dead." Monokuma laughed. "What, did you just suddenly realize the gravity of the situation here? Remember, he killed Watari."

Shinjimae whimpered, immediately shaking his head. "B-blood… e-everyone is dying…"

"This is unfair." Yume continued to repeat, shaking her head. Her breaths were uneven, heavy. "This is unfair!"

"Ooh, the nihilist is angry for once!" The bear gasped. "Scary! She's gonna kill me!"

"Shut it. Just shut it already." The nihilist was clenching her fists, breathing more and more and more and more heavily… heavy. "I don't want this anymore. I just… No. Can we just leave?"

"Leave?" He tilted his head. "Why would you want to leave? Don't you want to look at Kyatchi's body and hug it? Fuck it?"

"Stop spouting that shit!" Yume shook her head, suddenly screaming. She panted, whimpering. "I hate this so much. Why is this happening…?"

Akio held his breath, unsure of what to say. Honestly, he had nothing to say, only staring at Shinjimae who was burying his face into Saki's fur and then looking at Masako who was teary-eyed, then at Yume who was both angry and embarrassed from the outburst. His eyes did fall onto Tomoyo's, but he said nothing as well.

"C-can you at least give Kyatchi a proper burial?" Masako asked, hesitant as she looked at the bear. "S-surely you have money and time for…"

Monokuma snickered. "Like I care? Give me one good reason to do that- boop! Never! It's too much work for me."

"Seriously? After unfairly doing that to Kyatchi?" Tomoyo breathed in deeply. Her heart was pounding erratically, adrenaline pumping. "You're… you're such a bastard, you know that?"

The bear yawned, "Yeah, and what?"

"You-"

"Hey, calm down." Akio looked at the screenwriter, immediately shutting her down. She stayed back, the actor's focus shifted on Monokuma. "We're done here, right? You already killed Kyatchi anyways and showed us our 'prize' or whatever the hell that was, so can we go back now?"

Monokuma frowned, immediately pouting. "Awww, are you sure about that?" His voice was disgustingly childish. "Don't you want to take pictures with Kyatchi though? That beautiful dead body?"

"No." The actor glared. "Can we just go?"

Yume immediately walked over to Monokuma and looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed. "You…" Her quiet voice was shaking. "You better give Kyatchi a proper burial."

Monokuma eyed the woman for a few seconds. He hummed slowly to himself, then chuckled and kicked his legs back. "Well, that actually depends on my mood. I'll see what happens though, Ms. Yume~"

"Shut up." Yume growled. "Please."

Silence. The bear looked at the nihilist for a few seconds, then sighed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed the remote in his hands and pressed it, leaving from the seat. It collapsed within seconds, Monokuma raising his hands. "You're all going back soon, so bye bye! Have fun in the meantime!"

And just like that, he's gone, leaving the kids to their demise.

The story will never end, even if seemed like so.

* * *

Okay, and there is the end of this chapter! While this is the end of the trial, this will most likely be the end of Chapter 4 in general. Everyone's going to kicked straight into the final chapter. The mastermind thing is mind boggling, maybe, I think, hope. Oh well! Anyways, hoped you enjoyed this chapter and I wonder who you all think the mastermind is? Nonetheless, have a great New Years Eve-New Years!

TPPCI's submissions are coming to a close, but if you asked for an extension, you would now have till January 7 (or before that, depends if the people who requested for extensions finished earlier). Get ready for the roster for that soon (and future SYOCs in the future, but you didn't hear that from me).

Anyways, haha, hope you have a great time!


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